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O.K. The responses have started to come in. This one is from a winery near our home in NJ. The Valenzano family makes fantastic wine, even though southern NJ isn't famous for vinyards. (We're more known for blueberries, peaches and apples.....and, of late, overgrown suburbs.) 
Lin
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Linda

I have never heard of wheat paste used in barrel making.  This sounds like an ancient barrel making technique.   I doubt that quality wine barrel manufactures would taint their barrels with an organic product.  I will look into this if you like, but I highly doubt it is true.

The following wines are produced without any contact with oak barrels:

Shamong Red 
Labrusca 
Pinelands Blush 
Vidal Blanc 
White Cabernet
Cranberry Wine
White Cranberry Wine
Blueberry Wine
Raspberry Wine
Strawberry Wine
Razz-N-Cranberry Sangria

The following wines are aged in oak barrels:

Chambourcin 
Merlot 
Cabernet/Merlot 
Cynthiana 
Old Indian Mills Blend 
Chardonnay

I have to assume that even if there is some wheat paste used in making the barrels; the amount transferred to the wine would be an extremely small amount (less than 1 part per million).  

Anthony B Valenzano
Valenzano Winery
1320 Old Indian Mills Rd
Shamong, NJ 08088
phone: 609-268-6731
fax: 609-268-4641
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www.valenzanowine.com

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