Is Wine Gluten Free? Grapes, Labels and Exceptions

Yes, wine made from grapes is naturally gluten-free. Gluten comes from wheat, barley and rye, and regular wine is fermented grape juice. The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), which regulates wine labels in the US, uses “wine fermented from grapes” as its example of a product with no gluten-containing ingredients. The exceptions are drinks with something added: flavored wines and wine coolers, some of which are made with barley malt. This guide explains what the rules say, the barrel and fining questions people ask about, and which bottles to check.

Important: This page explains labels and regulations, not medical advice. If you have celiac disease, a wheat allergy or another condition, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian what is safe for you.

The short answer by type of drink

Drink	Gluten ingredients?	What to do
Red, white, rosé and sparkling wine from grapes	None in TTB’s example of an inherently gluten-free product	Usually no check needed; contact the winery if you need certainty
Wines with added flavors or colors	Possible	Read the label and ask the producer
Bottled wine coolers and malt-based “wine” drinks	Possible; barley malt is a gluten source	Check the label for malt and for who regulates it
Wine labeled “gluten-free”	None, plus steps against cross-contact	The producer has made the claim under TTB’s rules

What TTB says about gluten-free wine labels

TTB’s current policy is TTB Ruling 2020-2, issued on October 13, 2020, which superseded TTB Ruling 2014-2. Its main points for wine:

• Wine may be labeled “gluten-free” if it is made without gluten-containing ingredients and the producer takes steps to prevent gluten cross-contact in raw materials, equipment, storage and the finished product.
• TTB’s ruling relies on the FDA’s definition of gluten-free, which centers on 20 parts per million (ppm).
• Labels can’t state a specific gluten level, such as “contains x ppm,” for fermented products, because TTB says there is no scientifically valid method to measure gluten reliably in them.
• Products fermented from gluten-containing grains and then processed to remove gluten can’t say gluten-free. They may say “processed to remove gluten,” with the qualifying statement that the gluten content can’t be verified and the product may contain gluten.
• Health claims, such as references to celiac disease, aren’t allowed unless they meet TTB’s separate health-claim rules.

The ruling also notes that wines under 7% alcohol fall under FDA labeling rules rather than TTB’s.

Because a gluten-free claim is voluntary, most wine bottles don’t carry one. A missing claim doesn’t mean the wine contains gluten; it usually just means the winery didn’t add the statement.

The FDA’s 20 ppm standard

The FDA’s gluten-free rule, issued in 2013 with a compliance deadline of August 2014, says foods labeled gluten-free must contain less than 20 ppm of gluten. The FDA describes gluten-free as a voluntary claim manufacturers may choose to use, and cites an estimated 3 million Americans with celiac disease.

The FDA rule excludes most alcoholic drinks, including wines with 7% or more alcohol by volume, because TTB regulates their labels. That is why TTB issues its own policy for wine but borrows the FDA’s definition.

Barrels, wheat paste and fining

Two winemaking questions come up whenever people ask whether wine is gluten-free. Wine Spectator’s 2018 report by Lexi Williams looked at both.

Barrels sealed with wheat paste. Wine Spectator says barrels sealed with wheat paste could expose wine to gluten, but that the industry has largely moved to wax substitutes. It reports that Tricia Thompson, founder of GlutenFreeWatchdog.org, tested two wines finished in barrels sealed with wheat paste in 2012 and found gluten levels below 5 and 10 ppm respectively, which Wine Spectator notes is far lower than the FDA’s 20 ppm standard.

Fining agents. Fining is a clarifying step in winemaking. Wheat gluten can be used as a fining agent, but Wine Spectator calls this rare, and cites a 2011 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry that found fined wines contained very little gluten or none at all.

Celiac researcher Dr. Alessio Fasano of Massachusetts General Hospital told Wine Spectator that wine is typically made from grapes and that, under normal circumstances, the process has no exposure to gluten.

Tip: If you want certainty about a particular bottle, email or call the winery and ask about barrel sealing and fining agents. Wine Spectator gives the same advice. Our guide to vegan wine explains fining agents in more detail.

Flavored wines and wine coolers: the real exceptions

The drinks most worth checking are the ones that aren’t just wine. In Wine Spectator’s report, Marilyn Geller, CEO of the Celiac Disease Foundation, warned about wine products with added color or flavoring and those made from barley malt, “such as bottled wine coolers,” and advised reading labels.

The Celiac Disease Foundation’s list of gluten sources includes malt in its many forms (malt extract, malt syrup, malt flavoring, malted barley flour), and beer and malt beverages unless they are explicitly labeled gluten-free. Since some bottled coolers are made from barley malt rather than wine, in our view the label is the first thing to check:

1. Look at what it’s made from. “Malt beverage” or “flavored malt beverage” on the label means, in our reading, that it is based on malt rather than grapes.
2. Check the alcohol. Under 7%, a wine product falls under FDA labeling rules rather than TTB’s, according to TTB’s ruling.
3. Read the ingredients and allergen statement when there is one.
4. Ask the producer if anything is unclear.

Plain sparkling wine, Port, Sherry and other fortified wines are made from grapes (fortified wines have grape spirit added), so in our view they belong with regular wine rather than with flavored products. Our guide to fortified wine explains how they’re made.

Reading a label for gluten

Our full guide to how to read a wine label covers the mandatory items. For gluten specifically, we’d look at three things:

• The product type: wine, sparkling wine, dessert wine or a “malt beverage.”
• Any “gluten-free” claim, which TTB allows only for products made without gluten-containing ingredients and with steps against cross-contact.
• “Processed to remove gluten,” which means the product was made from a gluten-containing grain. You won’t see this on grape wine.

If you’re also watching sugar or alcohol, our guides to low sugar wine and wine alcohol content explain those labels.

The bottom line

Regular wine made from grapes contains no gluten ingredients, and TTB allows it to be labeled gluten-free when producers prevent cross-contact. The products that need a closer look are flavored wines and malt-based coolers. For decisions about your own diet, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian; the Celiac Disease Foundation also notes that its information should be used with the advice of a physician or health care professional.

Wine is for adults of legal drinking age (21 in the US). Please drink responsibly.