Tags
adult beverages, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, barley, oak barrels, rye, wheat, wine
It has come to my attention that wine CAN have some gluten in it if the wine is aged in oak barrels. Not all wines are aged in oak barrels. It tends to the the Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlots, Zinfandels and red blends that are aged in oak barrels (FYI it is white oak). The barrels themselves are not sealed, the head is sealed with a glutenous substance. In a study, done by the Gluten Free Dietician, wines that were at risk have been tested and were below the ELISA standard. Some were <5ppm and some <10ppm.
On May 24th 2012 the Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) released an interim policy on the labeling of alcoholic beverages under its jurisdiction. The TTB regulates almost all alcoholic beverages. Exceptions include beer made without malted barley, wines containing less than 7% alcohol by volume, and hard ciders containing less than 7% alcohol by volume. The aforementioned beverages are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. (http://www.glutenfreedietitian.com/newsletter/2012/10/10/gluten-content-of-wine-aged-in-oak-barrels-sealed-with-wheat-paste/)
Under the Interim Policy on Gluten Content Statements in the Labeling and Advertising of Wines, Distilled Spirits, and Malt Beverages, the TTB will not allow gluten-free claims to be included on product labels or in product advertising if the alcohol is made with wheat, barley, rye, or crossbred varieties of these grains OR any ingredients derived from these grains. This means that traditional beer made with barley malt can NOT be labeled or advertised as gluten-free. Distilled alcohol that uses wheat, barley, or rye as a starting material can NOT be labeled or advertised as gluten-free. http://www.glutenfreedietitian.com/newsletter/2012/10/10/gluten-content-of-wine-aged-in-oak-barrels-sealed-with-wheat-paste/The Interim Policy goes on to state, “Many alcohol beverage products subject to the FAA Act are produced without any ingredients that contain gluten. For example, a wine fermented from grapes, or a vodka distilled from potatoes, may be “gluten-free” if the producer used good manufacturing practices, took adequate precautions to prevent cross-contamination, and did not use additives, yeast, or storage materials that contained gluten. Under this interim policy, TTB will allow the use of a “gluten-free” claim in the labeling and advertising of such products. As always, it will be the responsibility of the importer or bottler of the product to ensure that the claim is truthful and accurate.” (http://www.glutenfreedietitian.com/newsletter/2012/10/10/gluten-content-of-wine-aged-in-oak-barrels-sealed-with-wheat-paste/
So, I am going to continue drinking wine. Most of the wines I drink cost less than $10 so they probably aren’t aged in Oak Barrels. And even if they were, they probably are below testing levels. Salud!