My Quest For Gluten-Free Wine

Personally, I can attest to having been glutenized by wine. I have been gluten-free for a full year now with the exception of 5 accidental glutenings in the fall of 2020. (At least one of which was caused by wine.) What I have learned from those episodes is that the effects are much stronger now that I have no residual gluten in my system and if I ingest gluten now I will be sick for at least 5 hours. So I prefer not to take chances with wheat, rye, and barley.

My aversion to glutenization caused me to abstain from wine entirely for several months after one bottle got me really good. I am particularly heartbroken about it because it was my favorite wine: The Robert Mondavi Private Selection Cabernet Sovinougn – the one that’s aged in bourbon barrels.

I suspect that the bourbon barrel aging may be the source of the gluten, but I cut out all wine just to be safe until I happened upon a wine that stated right on the label that it was in fact gluten-free. That piqued my interest, and my hope, to learn if there were other winemakers pursuing a gluten-free process but I didn’t come up with much. Barefoot says all of their wines are gluten-free but that’s hard to get excited about. I also found a handful of small vintners that said their wine is gluten-free as well. But it doesn’t do me much good to know about gluten-free wines that aren’t available in my area, does it?

How The Gluten-Free Wine List Started

Once I learned that there were some safe wines out there I started trying new ones. To keep track of what I tried I started snapping a picture of the bottle and jotting down notes about whether I liked it or not in my Notes App. The result is a living list of safe wines. It’s been 7 months since I last ate or drank anything that glutenized me so I don’t know if I’m on a lucky streak or if the large majority of wines are in fact totally safe. Perhaps there are just a few hangers-on to old wine-making techniques that we, who are unable to process gluten, should avoid.

Which ever it is, I will continue to be a guinea pig and try new wines and report back to you my findings.

My List Of Gluten-Free Wines

And so without further ado here is my list of wines of which I have personally drunk at least half the bottle without glutenization. As I come across new, safe wines I will add them to the list so check back often.

1. Corte Corsano – 2018 Chianti Classico

Not good but didn’t seem to affect me.

2. Criss Cross – 2016 Petite Sirah

Not even as good as the Chianti but didn’t affect me.

3. Frei Brothers – 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

Decent.

4.Bonterra – 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

Just plain good. This was the first wine I took a bet on because it said Made With Organic Grapes and I thought there was a good chance it was gluten-free. I was right!

5. The Collection – 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon

Tasty. Kind of fruity for a cab.

6. Riunite – Lambrusco

Everything that you would expect from a sparkling red wine, in a magnum bottle, with a screw cap. 

7. Erath – 2018 Pinot Noir

We selected it only because when we googled what wine goes best with Mahi Mahi tacos we found that an Organ Pinot paired best with grilled Mahi Mahi. We didn’t fully appreciate how well it paired though until we ate taco leftovers later the same night with the Simi Cab and discovered that there really was something to this Pinot. And this wine is gluten-free to boot!

8. Simi – 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon

When paired with Mahi Mahi tacos the wine leaves a sort of earthy, smokey, wood aftertaste that leaves you longing for the more compatible, and significantly cheaper Erath pinot.

9. H3 – 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon

Claimed to have a cocoa finish but I didn’t get that. Also said deep berry flavors which was a spot on characterization.

10. Line 39 – 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon

For a $10 bottle of wine, Line 39 never disappoints. You’re won’t be raving to your friends about this bottle of wine is but you’re also not going to complain. 

11. Clos Du Bois – 2018 Pinot Noir

It sort of made my lips tingle and go numb. My first glass had almost no taste like drinking water but then had a grape juice finish. Not exactly what I would call award winning but by the fourth glass who’s to judge.

12. Barefoot Bubbly Brut Cuvée Champagne

For a few years, this was the king of grocery store champagne with its light, fruity, non-champagne-like taste. But in the past 1 or 2 years, the king has abdicated his throne and joined the ranks of mediocrity beside Cooks and André. But hey, it’s gluten-free wine.

13. Underwood – 2019 Pinot Noir

It had a very astringent taste and I didn’t really enjoy it but it didn’t affect me so it’s good in my book.

14. Wine Cube – Pinot Noir

I know that boxed wines have a sort of a less than classy reputation and rightly so. I would, however, argue that they play a very useful role in the life of the budget minded wine lover. You can start the evening off with your favorite, pricier bottle of wine. Then, when your taste buds are dulled, you can move on to the old reliable, and significantly less expensive box on the counter. This way you’re not wasting expensive and delicious wine that you’re not even really tasting anyway. This Wine Cube Pinot Noir fills that role nicely. It’s not bad as the first glass of the night either. I also recommend traveling wine wine cubes on road trips. They’re perfect for staying in hotels and airbnb’s because they last for days and you never need a cork screw.

15. The Naked Grape – Pinot Noir

I hate the look of this box. It reminds me of 1990’s wallpaper and smooth jazz. If Frass Canyon were a real vineyard I think they would use this design. Your mom’s douchey, new-age boyfriend, who also happens to be her supervisor at her new job that she had to take after your dad left, would buy this box because of the design. The wine inside isn’t much better. Unlike the Wine Cube, you’re definitely not going to want to start the night out with this thing. In fact, you might want to kill 2 bottles before you start slumming it for the night. The only reason I bought this box of wine was because it was marked down from $15 to $3.75. I was going for the Black Box Cab when Bonnie called me to the end cap of the aisle where 2 of these boxes were relegated. I’m glad I didn’t I have to pay $15 to find out I don’t like this wine. $3.75 is a fair price point though so if you can find it for that go ahead and feel good about picking one up.

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