Wine has probably been a part of your life for most of your life.
Wine is often part of the festivities, whether at a family dinner, with wine served as a complement to food, or at an event like a wedding or engagement celebration. There’s no denying alcohol has always been a part of our lives.
But what if you wanted to enjoy wine without any concerns about how it might affect your religious beliefs?
What if you wanted to enjoy wine but still keep within the guidelines set by Islam? What if you wanted to be able to offer halal-certified wines to friends and family who are also Muslim?
Well, there’s good news for you: plenty of great halal wines out there will help you stay true to your faith while still enjoying the taste of fine wine.
But what is “halal” wine, anyway?
Halal means “permissible” or “lawful” in Arabic. This refers to anything permissible under Islamic law—which includes, among other things, food and drink.
So when they say “halal wine,” they mean a type of wine that meets the requirements of Islamic law.
What is Halal certification?
Halal certification is a process by which products are approved to comply with Islamic law.
This means a product must be free of alcohol, pork, or other forbidden ingredients.
Halal certification for wine?
For a wine producer to be halal certified, wineries must make it from grapes they processed in a manner that complies with Islamic law.
It requires that all aspects of the production process—from grape harvesting to bottling—follow Islam’s tenets.
First, wineries must make the wine from grapes grown without alcohol-based pesticides or fertilizers on them.
Wineries make Halal wine from 100% grape juice without added sulfites or other additives.
Because sulfites are preservatives in wines, halal wines are naturally gluten-free and vegan-friendly, making them perfect for those who follow a gluten-free diet or have other dietary considerations such as diabetes.
Since halal wine is made from grapes grown without pesticides or chemicals, it’s organic and clean. It’s also got a unique taste that sets it apart from other wines: it tends to have more fruit-like flavors than traditional dry wines because the grapes are grown without chemicals.
However, not all halal wines are sweet and fruity, but many are. There are even some types of halal wines that wineries infuse with fruit juice like orange or lemon, which gives them an extra kick.
Halal wines also tend to be less sweet than non-halal wines, which means they’re ideal for those who prefer dryer styles like Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir.
In addition, wineries must make it with grapes grown in a region where no known non-kosher crops are growing nearby.
For example, your wine is halal if you grow grapes next to wheat fields or cornfields. In addition, any grape seeds used should be from non-kosher vines.
Second, the production process must be under Islamic law, known as Shariah. This means that they can use no alcohol-based chemicals during the processing stage.
This means the wine cannot contain alcohol derived from other sources, such as sugar or molasses. In addition, no additives or preservatives.
Finally, the wine must be free of animal products, including gelatin or casein, which comes from milk and animal fats.
This includes the cork stopper, made from cow horns and other materials that may have come into contact with animals during production—such as those used in winemaking equipment or glass bottles.
How can you tell if your wine has been certified as halal?
Luckily, there are several ways to tell if your wine is certified as halal:
1. Look for the word “halal” on the label.
If there’s no mention of halal certification, your wine isn’t certified and may contain alcohol or animal-derived products.
2. Check out reviews from other Muslims who have tried the wine before you buy it.
you can find these reviews on websites where users can leave feedback about their experiences with different wines and liquors before purchasing them for themselves (or as gifts).
3. Take a look at the ingredients list on the bottle.
Your wine could contain alcohol or other non-halal ingredients if any animal-derived products are listed. Manufacturers may add these during production or bottling processes, such as gelatin capsules used during filtering.
Most wines will have a slight indication that they’ve been certified by one of two major halal organizations: the Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA) or Halal Transactions of America (HTA).
IFANCA
The Islamic Food and Nutrition Council of America (IFANCA) is a non-profit organization that provides halal certification services. IFANCA is one of the most trusted names in halal food and beverage certification, serving institutions, manufacturers, retailers, and consumers worldwide.
The IFANCA Halal Seal is a symbol of trust and quality assurance for products that comply with Islamic dietary laws. Products bearing their seal are guaranteed to meet the highest standards for halal integrity.
These standards are from the laws laid down by Allah in the Qur’an and Sunnah, as well as other guidelines set forth by Islamic scholars over hundreds of years.
Halal Transactions of America (HTA)
HTA is an online retailer that specializes in halal products. They have everything from clothing and food to home goods and beauty products.
But now they are adding wine to their repertoire. It’s so easy to shop with HTA that they wanted to make it even easier by offering their customers access to some of the best wines on the market.
There may also be other certifications, but these are the most commonly used ones. If the label doesn’t mention certification, it’s probably not certified halal.
Call them up if you’re shopping online and aren’t sure which certification a brand uses.
Just make sure to ask if their wines are halal-certified—not just “Kosher” or “Gluten-Free”—and if they don’t know what you mean by “halal,” they might not have done any certification at all.
Kosher Vs. Halal
Kosher and halal wines follow the rules set by religious authorities to ensure that their products follow those religions’ beliefs and practices. The rules are pretty similar, but there are some key distinctions:
Kosher wine is made according to Jewish dietary law, and wineries can only produce them from grapes harvested under specific conditions.
For example, no wine made from raisins or grape juice may be served to observant Jews. They must also monitor the fermentation process carefully to produce a product that conforms to kosher standards.
Finally, many wineries age kosher wines in oak barrels which they always clean before use.
Halal wines are more similar to non-kosher wines because they do not have any requirements related to their production beyond those required by federal law. For example, they cannot contain sulfites.
Some manufacturers can make halal wines with ingredients derived from animals specified as “unclean” in the Qur’an.
However, this depends on the interpretation of Islamic scholars or imams who oversee the production of each bottle.
Halal Vs. Gluten-Free
Wine can be labeled as Halal if made from grapes cultivated without alcohol, animal products, or other substances forbidden by Islam.
This means that all wines produced under Islamic law are vegan as well.
So how does this differ from gluten-free?
Gluten-free refers to products that do not contain any gluten—a protein found in wheat and related grains like barley and rye. However, products labeled “gluten-free” may still have other allergens, such as dairy or soy.
Final Thoughts
Wine can be a little intimidating, especially if you’re new to it.
There’s so much to learn and understand about wine—like how to taste it, what temperature it should be served at, and how to pair it with food—that it can feel overwhelming.
This is true, especially if you’ve been looking for a wine that is both delicious and fits the strict guidelines of your faith.
But the good news is there are plenty of options out there. For example, if you are Muslim, you can find halal wines that will please your palate and remain true to your beliefs.
Nowadays, you can find halal wines everywhere, from your local liquor store to restaurants and even online retailers like Amazon and eBay.
You can even find them at your local grocery store if you want something special for dinner tonight.
