Does Wine Contain Wheat And/or Gluten?

[Baby_Sham]

As above. Having an argument (a friendly one) with someone. Does wine contain wheat or gluten? I say no, he says yes.

[sandyRoe]

It's made from fermented grape juice. What would wheat or gluten be doing there?

[DTCwordfan]

Wheat - No.

Gluten - proper wine does not have it; some of the cheaper shyte on the market can be contaminated with it, so this part is a no and yes answer, Sham.....

[boxtops]

What's his argument that it does contain it, how would it, why would it be added?

[DTCwordfan]

Fyi, Sandy, gluten proteins can be used as a caulking agent in some cheaper oak barrels and as a clarifying agent in cheap wines.............

[Baby_Sham]

He says he's read that gluten makes the wine appear clearer?
I said it wouldn't contain either, but I guess we're both kind of right/kind of wrong then.

We were discussing what alcohol have wheat/gluten in it, I said wine would be "ok", he said not.
Gutted I missed it off the shopping list now... :)

[boxtops]

He's right (possibly) about the gluten then, but not the wheat!

[DTCwordfan]

As I said, only crap wine has it...........says something about his taste perhaps?

[Baby_Sham]

Thanks for clearing that up for me. I'll be sure to put it on next weeks shop.

Dt, Er... thanks!!:P

[hc4361]

Baby Sham, you need to know that gluten comes from wheat.

[Baby_Sham]

Ohhhh!! So if something doesn't contain wheat, then it can't contain Gluten?
Sorry for being so dim :-/

[Hypognosis]

Gluten is the protein which makes bread stretchy because the molecules are long chains, which tangle together. I'm convinced that the wine would be visibly cloudy if there was more than a few breadcrumbs' worth of it in the bottle.

Does a person with gluten allergy react to such a small quantity?

The whole point of the clarifying chemicals is that they precipitate out, taking the dead yeast with it. If there's anything published stating that gluten is partially soluble, then I'd be happy to read about it.

[Baby_Sham]

I've no idea where he thinks he read it, but he's convinced.
I've been following a wheat and gluten free diet for the past couple of weeks and it's made a *huge* difference to various issues I had.
I said I missed a glass of wine, and couldn't see why I couldn't have one, but he says it definitely contains Gluten and isn't worth ruining all my efforts for.

I've sent him off to try and find the book he was talking about, but he's on YouTube now so don't think I'll get an answer any time soon!

[hc4361]

Gluten may be in beer, but not in wine. Not any amount that would make an iota of difference, anyway

[Baby_Sham]

Thanks hc... again :-)

[Hypognosis]

Well, I hadn't worked out it was about a special diet and not about allergies.

As long as you remember that alcohol contains calories* and you decide that this is manageable within your diet plan, then you may as well enjoy the wine. ;-)

* Google search reckons 83 calories per 100g and 100g would be about the same as 100ml.

[Baby_Sham]

Hypo, yep, I know all that. I'm not on the diet for weight-loss reasons (although that's never a bad thing, huh?), it's more I've read it's good for various ailments that I seem to suffer from.

So, to conclude, wine does not contain wheat/Gluten, and therefore I shall continue to enjoy it :)

[lyall]

The reputable celiac societies do not have wine on their forbidden lists. But I have fond an article that may suggest that gluten could be used as a fining agent in place of beef gelatine. Here’s the link if anyone is interested.

http://www.ajevonline.org/content/53/4/308.abstract

My problem isn’t finding wine that is gluten free but vegetarian friendly!!

[DTCwordfan]

try Archie Browns in Penzance and Truro, Lyall, they are a vegetarian/health shop and sell various organic wines that are clear of any products.

As to gluten, it is not exclusive to wheat - it is a protein and can appear in barley, rye and other grains. So wheat is not necessarily in wine.....however, I do agree with the comment that the amount must be so small......

[237SJ]

I think that the rumour comes from the fact that some barrels are sealed with paste made from wheat. I don`t think anyone in the world has been affected by that though.

[EcclesCake]

Just a thought....is he muddling gluten with albumen or gelatin? Both of which are used to clarify wine and make them unsuitable for vegetarians/vegans?