Vegan Wine Tutorial

Wanda Haynes-Certified Sommelier

Vegans avoid all meat, dairy, eggs, wool, feathers, leather, fur, honey, seafood, fish, and animal-derived materials. This includes products tested on animals, and places that use animals for entertainment. The wine they drink must foster their diet and beliefs.

The term “fining” is a process of adding substances to rid the wine of solids to make it clear. It is often traditional fining agents that can make a wine unsuitable for vegans. Gelatin, fiber of crustation shells, fish bladders, and fish oils can be used to refine wine. Egg whites or casein which is a protein in dairy milk can be used to remove tiny particles in a wine that cannot be removed by traditional filtration.

Animal products used in wine production may include beeswax, used to seal bottles, and agglomerated corks is a milk-based glue. These items aren’t on the wine label, and the USA or Europe aren’t currently required to list them.

What is a vegan wine?

Vegan wine is a style of wine that does not involve the use of animal-derived products or by-products during the winemaking process. Carbon, bentonite clay, limestone, kaolin clay, plant casein, silica gel, and vegetable plaques are appropriate in fining vegan wine.

Companies that produce vegan wine

Avaline, known for organic labeled wines (red, white, rosé, and sparkling), all of which are 100% vegan. Bonterra, a widely available organic winery that clearly labels its white and rosé wines as vegan. Although some reds may occasionally contain non-vegan fining ingredients.

A Washington State dry red wine darling is also vegan, the velvet devil merlot produced by none other than wine genius Charles Smith. Frey Vineyards, a pioneer in organic, no-sulfate-added wines that are certified vegan.

La Crema, a producer offering vegan white and Pinot Noir varieties, widely found in restaurants and liquor stores. Nicolas Feuillatte is available at grocery stores and corner markets across France, and widely available in the US.

Syltbar premium Prosecco from Friuli, Italy, and highly rated for its crisp, light flavor profile. Lunetta, is a lively Prosecco Rosé, made in Italy from hand-picked grapes. Bellissima, Zero Sugar Sparkling Rosé a 100% vegan, organic, and zero-sugar option.

Taittinger Champagne, is widely recognized as vegan. The company has confirmed that they do not use animal-derived products or fining agents.

Ways to know if a wine is vegan.

Look closely for a ‘Certified Vegan’ label.

Read for animal-derived ingredients.

Go to the producer’s website or social media.