Allergy

I am allergic to eggs/fish/milk/nuts and their products. I have recently noticed that there is often a statement on the label of wine bottles and casks, which says "fined with casein/potassium caseinate/milk/evaporated milk/milk products/egg white/egg products/isinglass/fish products/nut-derived tannins/nut-products and traces may remain" Can I safely consume this wine?

Wine may be 'fined' with processing aids, which are derived from eggs, fish, milk or nuts. The process of fining removes protein and other impurities from the wine, which may otherwise make the wine unstable. If the wine is made according to good manufacturing practice, there should be only traces of these processing aids left in the wine. As the wine industry is unable to accurately measure for trace levels of these processing aids at present, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (formerly the Australia New Zealand Food Authority) has advised that winemakers should include a warning statement on the label as a 'duty of care' for the consumer if they are at all uncertain as to whether the wine may contain traces of these processing aids.

If you have a known allergy to eggs/fish/milk/nuts and their products, then you consume wine at your own risk, as trace elements may be present.

I am an asthmatic. Can I consume wine?

If your asthma is triggered by sulphur compounds, such as sulphur dioxide, then you should not consume wine... If your asthma is not triggered by sulphur compounds, then wine is unlikely to trigger an asthma attack.

If so, what kind of wine?

If your asthma is not triggered by sulphur dioxide, then any kind of wine can be consumed by an asthmatic with minimal risk of inducing an asthma attack. If you are 'sulfite-sensitive', however, wines that contain a lower concentration of sulphur dioxide are recommended. For example, those wines labeled as 'organic' contain approximately 50% less sulphur dioxide. Cask wines, which contain a higher concentration of sulphur dioxide, should not be consumed. No wine, however, is sulphur dioxide free', as 10–50 mg/L of sulphur dioxide is produced naturally during the fermentation by yeast cells. A concentration of 1–3 mg of sulphur dioxide released from wine and inhaled will trigger an allergic reaction in significantly sulfite-sensitive individuals.

How much wine can I consume per day?

If your asthma is not triggered by sulphur dioxide, then any light to moderate amount of wine can be consumed without triggering your asthma. If you are 'sulfite-sensitive', even one 100 mL glass of wine, containing approximately 45–120 mg/L of sulphur dioxide, may trigger an allergic reaction. Data from recent research undertaken by the Department of Medicine of The University of South Australia indicates, however, that the low concentration of sulphur dioxide observed generally in Australian wine is not problematic for a significant proportion of sulfite-sensitive individuals.

Bacteria is mentioned on the back label of the wine bottle. Does this mean that I am drinking something that is potentially harmful to my health?

No, the mention of bacteria on the back label of a wine bottle does not mean that you are drinking something that is potentially harmful to your health. Types of bacteria may be naturally present in grape juice and wine: lactic acid bacteria; and acetic acid bacteria. These bacteria are not harmful to humans, and are also found in other foodstuffs such as yoghurt.

Lactic acid bacteria can convert the malic acid in the wine to lactic acid, which is referred to as malolactic fermentation. Red and certain white wine undergoes malolactic fermentation, which can add desirable flavours and aromas to the wine. Lactic acid bacteria can also contribute to off-flavours and off-odours in the wine.

Acetic acid bacteria can convert alcohol in the wine to acetic acid, or its ester, ethylacetate. Both resultant compounds cause characteristic off-flavours and off-odour in the wine.

I have read that the French experience less heart disease than other nationalities. Does any research indicate that there are health benefits from drinking wine?

The term 'French paradox' refers to the observation that while both the French and Americans have a diet high in saturated fats, smoke cigarettes and exercise little-which are all risk factors for cardiovascular disease-the French have a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease than that of the Americans; 36% compared with 75%. The difference in risk has been attributed to the consumption of alcohol and, in particular, red wine... The French consume 60 L per capita of wine per year, while the Americans only consume 7.7 L per year. Australians, who consume 18.1 L per capita of wine per year, have a risk of cardiovascular disease in between that of the French and the Americans.

Recent research suggests that the regular and moderate consumption of alcohol, and in particular wine, may reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease by up to 50%. Furthermore, your overall lifespan may also be significantly increased. Moderate consumption is considered as approximately three to four standard drinks of alcohol per day for men and one to two for women, where a standard drink is 10 g of alcohol or approximately 100 mL of wine. The consumption of alcohol and wine above this moderate amount will, conversely, increase your risk of cardiovascular and other diseases, and hence decrease your overall lifespan.

Recent research suggests that the regular and moderate consumption of alcohol and wine promotes both short-term and long-term cardioprotective effects. For example, regular consumption prolongs and maintains these short-term cardioprotective effects on blood clotting and on the plasma concentration of cholesterol.

Recent research also suggests that the cardioprotective effects of wine are imparted by the alcohol component (approximately 75% of the effects) and by the wine-specific phenolic compounds and their polyphenolic forms (approximately 25% of the effects). Polyphenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins and tannin, give wine its characteristic colour and flavour, and red wine typically has a 200-fold greater concentration of polyphenolic compounds than does white wine.

The Institute does not advocate or encourage current abstainers and consumers to drink to achieve a health benefit. Consumers should only drink wine for enjoyment.

I have a heart condition. Can I consume wine?

Yes, you can consume wine in moderation, but only if alcohol does not adversely affect the medication that you are on for your heart condition... The consumption of wine is not recommended, however, if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure, but once satisfactory control has been achieved with medication, you can resume consuming wine in moderation.

If so, what kind of wine?

If alcohol does not adversely affect your medication, any kind of wine can be consumed in moderation. Diabetics and asthma sufferers should refer to the sections listed elsewhere on this page.

How much wine can I consume per day?

Recent research suggests that approximately two 100 mL glasses of wine per day for men and one for women should not exacerbate a heart condition. From research undertaken by the Department of Medicine at the University of Western Australia, greater than these one or two 100 mL glasses of wine, however, can significantly increase your blood pressure, which would, therefore, exacerbate your heart condition.

I have Coeliac disease. Can I consume wine?

Additives that contain gluten are not allowed to be added to still wine and dessert wine and, therefore, you can safely consume these products.

Australian-made sparkling wine does not contain any additives that contain gluten, but imported sparkling wine and Champagne may contain spirit derived from wheat grain. Therefore, it would be prudent to consume Australian rather than imported sparkling wines... This is the same for Australian versus imported fortified wines. Fortified wines and sherry, however, are also permitted to add caramel during production. Caramel, which is additive number 150, may originate from wheat starch and hence may contain residual gluten. This cannot be known with any certainty as the identity and purity specifications referred to in the [Australian] Food Standards Code do not regulate the base grain from which the caramel is derived, and winemakers may source caramel from different suppliers during vintage and between vintages. Therefore, you should avoid consuming any fortified wines and sherries that include caramel among their list of ingredients as shown on the back of the bottle label.

For further information on Coeliac Disease, please refer to the web site of the Coeliac Society of Australia on: www.coeliac.org.au.