The Surprising Answer: No Wine in Wine Gums
Despite their suggestive name, wine gums contain no actual wine or alcohol. This fact often comes as a surprise, given the sweets are frequently labelled with names of alcoholic beverages like Port, Sherry, and Champagne. The story behind this naming convention is a fascinating tale of marketing, family dynamics, and teetotalism that dates back to the early 20th century.
The Teetotal Origins of Wine Gums
Charles Gordon Maynard, the son of a London confectioner, invented wine gums in 1909. He was working for the family business, Maynards, which his father, Charles Riley Maynard, and uncle Tom had founded in 1880. The elder Charles Maynard was a devout Methodist and a strict teetotaler, who was reportedly horrified when he first learned his son was creating a sweet associated with wine.
To appease his father, Charles Gordon Maynard had to prove that the new chewy treats contained absolutely no alcohol. He successfully convinced his father, and the family eventually launched the sweets with the marketing angle that they were a sophisticated, adult-oriented indulgence to be savoured, much like a fine wine. This clever ploy worked, and Maynards Wine Gums became a British institution. The name, while misleading in terms of ingredients, successfully conveyed a sense of refined, grown-up flavour that set them apart from more childish sweets.
Deconstructing a Wine Gum: What's Really Inside
Wine gums are a firm, chewy pastille-type sweet, and their texture and flavour come from a combination of basic confectionery ingredients, not from fermentation. The core components are a testament to simple candy-making rather than complex winemaking.
Common Wine Gum Ingredients
- Glucose Syrup: A sugar replacement that provides bulk and texture.
- Sugar: A primary sweetener.
- Starch: Often corn starch or modified potato starch, it helps to create the chewy consistency.
- Gelatin: This thickening agent is crucial for the firm, elastic texture of traditional wine gums. It is typically derived from animal products, making traditional wine gums unsuitable for vegetarians.
- Acids: Ingredients like malic acid and citric acid provide the tartness that balances the sweetness and gives the candy its fruit-like flavour.
- Flavourings: These are what create the various fruity tastes associated with each colour.
- Colourings: Concentrates and other colouring agents give wine gums their distinctive colours, from red and black to yellow and green.
For those who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, some brands now produce gelatin-free wine gums using alternative gelling agents such as pectin or agar.
The Flavours Behind the "Wine"
The names stamped on the original Maynards gums—Port, Sherry, Champagne, Burgundy, and Claret—were simply part of the marketing strategy. The flavours themselves were, and still are, based on fruits. While the exact flavour pairings vary between brands and regions, there are some generally accepted associations:
- Black (Port/Claret): Blackcurrant or liquorice.
- Red (Port/Burgundy): Raspberry or strawberry.
- Yellow (Champagne): Lemon or sometimes pineapple.
- Orange (Sherry): Orange.
- Green (Gin/Lime): Lime or sometimes another green fruit.
This fruit-based flavouring system further confirms that the name is a misnomer. The chewy texture is designed to prolong the eating experience, allowing one to appreciate the flavour slowly, much as a connoisseur would a glass of wine.
Wine Gums vs. Other Gummy Sweets
To truly understand the appeal of wine gums, it is useful to compare them with other popular chewy sweets. Their texture and flavour profile are distinct, which has helped them maintain their popularity for over a century.
| Feature | Wine Gums | Gummy Bears | Fruit Pastilles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texture | Firm and chewy, with lower moisture content (15-20%). | Softer, more jelly-like consistency. | Softer than wine gums, with a crunchy, sugar-coated exterior. |
| Flavour Intensity | More subtle and nuanced, designed for lingering taste. | Typically sweeter and more overtly fruity. | Very sweet, with a more concentrated burst of fruit flavour. |
| Appearance | Uncoated, with specific shapes and often embossed with "wine" names. | Coated in a thin layer of wax, shaped like bears. | Sugar-coated discs. |
| Target Audience | Originally marketed to adults for a "sophisticated" sweet. | Broadly popular with children and adults worldwide. | Aimed at a broad audience, known for their tangy-sweet taste. |
| Vegan Options | Vegan versions are readily available from many brands. | Vegan options are available but less common for traditional brands. | Some varieties are vegan, but many contain gelatin. |
The Final Word on Wine Gums
The story of wine gums is a classic example of successful branding and a lingering misconception. The sweets have never contained wine, and their name is a tribute to a savvy marketing strategy rather than a reflection of their ingredients. From their humble beginnings in a London kitchen to their status as a beloved confectionery across the Commonwealth, wine gums prove that sometimes, a name is just a name. While the wine remains imaginary, the joy of savouring their firm, fruity chew is very real indeed. The next time you open a pack, you can appreciate the ingenuity of the Maynard family and the sweet, alcohol-free treat they created.
Learn more about the fascinating history of British sweets and confectionery at Sweets and Candy Blog.
