In an attempt to categorize which alcoholic beverages were celiac safe I emailed the major alcoholic beverage corporations. The response that I received from Constellation Brands shocked me.

Dear Laurie,

Thank you for taking the time to contact us at CONSTELLATION BRANDS Consumer Relations. We appreciate hearing from you.

Our main objective is to produce quality products that satisfy our customers. We are pleased that you find CONSTELLATION BRANDS enjoyable.

We purchase our barrels from many different cooperages. As a result, some of our barrels may have been sealed with wheat paste. Where one’s health is of a concern, we always recommend that you consult with your physician.

Customers like you are certainly a pleasure and we thank you for your support. We appreciate your business and look forward to serving you as a valued customer.

Sincerely,

[AGENT_NAME]

CONSTELLATION BRANDS

Reference # 490690-1998502313

What? I have always read and been told that out of all alcoholic beverages wine was safe. I now know the reason for my stomach upset, headaches, and strange occurrences of passing out before I finish my first glass. I have been ingesting gluten.

I emailed them again for further clarification as to which of their brands specifically were aged in barrels containing wheat paste. This was their response.

Dear Laurie,

Most of our white and red wines for many of our brands are either fermented and/or aged in oak barrels. There is one brand of wines, Simply Naked, that is produced without the use of oak barrels:

http://www.simplynakedwines.com/splash.html

These wines are deliciously fruit-forward and display the natural essence of the specific varietal.

Check the following retailers in your area:

Food Lion Store

6425 Iron Bridge Rd

Richmond, VA

804-271-9885

Martins Food Market

5201 Chippenham Crossing Ctr

Richmond, VA

Total Wine & More

10036 Robious Rd

Richmond, VA

804-323-5866

Please check with the store manager(s) to see if they can order the product for you from their distributor.

I hope this information is helpful.

Sincerely,

[AGENT_NAME]

CONSTELLATION BRANDS

Reference # 490690-1998502313

It IS nice to know that Constellation has a wine option still available to me, but I wish I had known of the gluten contaminated brands sooner.

The brands of wine made by the Constellation Group are:

Robert Mondavi

Ravens Wood

Clos Du Bois

Kim Crawford

Blackstone

Estancia

Inniskillin

Jackson-Triggs

Black Box

Franciscan Estate

Mark West

Ruffino

Simi

Alice White

Blufeld

Diseno

The Dreaming Tree

Drylands Marlborough

Hayman & Hill

The Hogue Cellars

Le Clos Jordanne

Manischewitz

Mendocino Vineyards

Monkey Bay

Mount Veeder Winery

Mouton Cadet

Naked Grape

Night Harvest

NK MIP Cellars

Nobilo

Ooh La La Wine’s New Style

Open

Osoyoos Larose

Paso Creek

The People’s Wine

Primal Roots

Red Guitar

HRM Rex Goliath

Rioja Vega

Robert Mondavi Private Selection

Sawmill Creek

Seeya Later

Sola Nero

Strut

Selaks premium Selection

Sumac Ridge Estate Winery

Thorny Rose

Toasted Head

Woodbridge By Robert Mondavi

Vaca Rio Vaca Vineyards

Vendage

Wild Horse Winery and Vineyards

Additional American Wines:

3 Blind Moose

Arbor Valley

Capri

Coastal Vintners

Cribari

Heritage Vineyards

Italian Swiss Colony

Kasser

La Terre

Nathanson Creek

Papio

Paul Masson

St. Regis

Talus Collection

Taylor California Cellars

Taylor

Twin Fin

Widmer

Specific to Australia:

Cliff 79

Emu Wine Company

Wallaroo Trail

Canadian Wines:

Antoine Bonet

Aufkellereien

Belini

Blackhorn

Bonne Vigne

Branvin

Brights

Caleta

California House

Capistro

Champs Elysees

Chapman

Cresta Blanca

Dalbray

Denoiret

Du Marchand

Entre Lacs

Foret Noire

Hermit

House Wines

Jouvenceau

L’Ambiance

L’Entre Cote

Le Villageois

Les Cigales

Les Truffes

London

Maple Leaf

Maria Christina

Nicolas Laloux

Nobella

Notre Vin Maison

Okanagan Vineyards

Pale Dry

President

Private Stock

Rossini

Sangrilla

Santa Isabella

Silver Leaf

Silverthorne

Simply

St. Georges

Toscano

Vin de Italie

Vittori

Wallaroo Trail

Westminster

Europe:

Da Luca*

MezzoMondo*

New Zealand:

Batch 22

Fall Harvest

Rose Tree Cottage

Station Road

The Jibe

White Cloud

South American:

Caballero

Escudo Rojo

Gran Tierra

Marcus James

I have emailed the company a third time explaining that I am wanting to get this information correct and clearly stated to the public as it is of concern to the health of celiacs and the gluten intolerant. I have waited a few days and gotten no response. I will update this post as soon as I get a reply.