Vegan Wine

Given that wine is the product of grapes and yeast, some may assume that all wines would be appropriate for vegans – those who do not consume any kind of animal product – but this isn’t always the case.

It is often some traditional fining agents that can make a wine unsuitable for vegans.

Egg whites or casein (a protein found in milk) can be used to remove tiny particles of sediment in a wine that cannot be removed by filtration. However, other ways of doing this are becoming more popular.

Traditional fining products that were egg/fish/milk derived have moved on to a lot of vegetable-based products. Vegan wines are made without animal products, so winemakers either leave the particles to sink naturally to the bottom of the wine, or use non-animal fining products usually bentonite, a form of clay or pea protein.

Other animal products used in wine production may include beeswax (used to seal bottles) and agglomerated corks (which use milk-based glues).

In reality, many wines are vegan friendly. However, it can be difficult to tell. Regulations in the EU and US do not currently require wineries to list fining agents on labels.

More wine producers, and we as a retailer, have started to help consumers make a choice by highlighting which of their wines are vegan friendly.