...so I ran it by a couple of our best wine guys (read: geeks). Maybe the answer was not as "cut and dried" as I thought...

In a nutshell, Gluten is the protein that comes from the grass-like grains: wheat, barley, and rye. People with special sensitivities cannot tolerate these and can even have a life threatening reaction (Celiac disease). We get the questions mostly as it relates to beer and spirits and their ingredients.

So what does this have to do with wine?? Not much, but with these kinds of consequences, you want to be sure.

Wine (Brandy, Port, Mead) is made from grapes. Shouldn't have any concerns for those with Celiac disease, should it? It turns out that some winemakers use a flour paste to caulk their wine barrels. It is a small percentage, but to be sure, we'd recommend sticking to wines that are known to be stainless steel or tank fermented and aged. (ie no chance of touching oak).

You shouldn't have problems with gluten in wine, but to be 100% safe, your Binny's wine guy can show you which wines fall into the "no wood" category.