Wine · Explainer

Is wine gluten-free?

Wine is made from grapes and contains no grain, so wine is gluten-free in essence. The European limit for the designation gluten-free is 20 mg per kilo. According to the European allergen list, gluten comes from four grains: wheat, rye, barley and oats. None of them plays a role in making wine.

In brief

The key figures

Raw material of wine grapes, not grain
Gluten-containing cereals wheat, rye, barley, oats and hybrids thereof
Limit for gluten-free 20 mg per kilo
Limit for very low gluten content 100 mg per kilo
Allergens that may appear on wine sulphites, egg products, milk products
Allergen list Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II
Rules for gluten-free Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014
Rules for the wine label Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33

Why does wine not contain gluten?

Wine is made by fermenting grape juice, and grapes contain no gluten.

Gluten consists of proteins from grain. Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 names four gluten-containing cereals: wheat, including spelt and khorasan wheat, rye, barley and oats, plus hybrids of these. None of those four is used in making wine.

The raw material is therefore the reason, not a treatment afterwards. Red, white, rosé and sparkling wine all start with the same fruit.

What exactly does the designation gluten-free mean?

Gluten-free may appear on a food once the gluten content at sale to the end consumer is no more than 20 mg per kilo.

That limit is set out in Implementing Regulation (EU) No 828/2014. The same regulation also provides for the statement very low gluten content, for products made from wheat, rye, barley or oats that have been specially processed and stay below 100 mg per kilo.

This is an upper limit, not a quality mark. A product does not need to carry the statement to stay under the limit.

Which allergens do appear on a wine label?

A wine label may list sulphites, egg products and milk products, because these are used in the making and may remain.

The wording for this is laid down in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33, which elaborates labelling in the wine sector. Egg white protein and milk protein are used to fine young wine; sulphite is a preservative.

Gluten does not belong in that list. Anyone who turns a bottle around and sees no gluten statement is therefore not looking at an omission.

Why is there no gluten statement on a wine bottle?

There is no gluten mention because the obligation to state applies only to substances from Annex II that have actually been used in the product.

The allergen obligation also applies to drinks with more than 1.2 percent alcohol by volume. For those drinks the ingredient list and the nutritional value statement are waived, but the allergens remain mandatory.

Because wine involves no grain, there is nothing to declare. On a beer bottle it is different.

What about other grain-based drinks?

Beer is made from barley or wheat and therefore does contain gluten, wine does not.

Annex II of Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 exempts a number of grain derivatives from the labelling obligation, including wheat-based glucose syrups and alcohol distilled from grain. For those products the grain therefore does not have to be stated as an allergen.

Twijfelt u over een fles, vraag het aan de toonbank in Bathmen. Wij lezen het etiket met u mee en verkopen niets aan wie jonger is dan 18 jaar. NIX18.

From the shop in Bathmen

Which white wines are in the shop in Bathmen?

In the shop in Bathmen you will find 308 white wines from 173 different brands from 14 countries. Prices range from € 2.49 to € 109.99. The alcohol percentage ranges from 0.05% to 15%.

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Related questions

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Short answer

Short answers to related questions

Is sparkling wine also gluten-free?
Yes. Sparkling wine and champagne are also made from grapes; the second fermentation changes nothing about that.
Is beer gluten-free?
Ordinary beer is brewed from barley or wheat and contains gluten. There are beers that have been treated so that they stay below 20 mg per kilo.
May a wine bottle carry the statement gluten-free?
That is allowed as long as the content stays below 20 mg per kilo. It is not mandatory, and most wine houses do not put it on the label.
What does contains sulphites on the label mean?
Sulphite is a preservative that must be declared as an allergen. That declaration has nothing to do with gluten.
Is port or sherry gluten-free?
Fortified wine also starts with grapes. The added alcohol is grape distillate, not a grain product.

Further

Read more

All about wine at 't Bockjefilter wine by country, taste and priceAll brands at a glanceWhat is the difference between champagne, cava and prosecco?What does dry wine mean?What is the difference between Old World and New World wine?What do AOC, DOC and DOCG mean on a wine label?All questions about wine

The reasoning

Sources

  1. Uitvoeringsverordening (EU) nr. 828/2014 betreffende de voorschriften voor de voorlichting van de consument over de afwezigheid of de verminderde aanwezigheid van gluten in levensmiddelen, EUR-Lex, European Commission (accessed 2026-09-07)
  2. Verordening (EU) nr. 1169/2011 betreffende de verstrekking van voedselinformatie aan consumenten, EUR-Lex, European Parliament and Council (accessed 2026-09-07)
  3. Gedelegeerde verordening (EU) 2019/33 wat betreft oorsprongsbenamingen, geografische aanduidingen en etikettering in de wijnsector, EUR-Lex, European Commission (accessed 2026-09-07)
  4. Standards and Technical Documents, Organisation Internationale de la Vigne et du Vin (OIV) (accessed 2026-09-07)

This page was written and checked by ’t Bockje Bathmen, wine & spirits shop at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Last updated on 13 September 2026.

Verkoop van alcohol onder de 18 jaar is verboden. NIX18.