There are a lot of questions regarding vegan wine and why not all wines are vegan. It sounds logical that a beverage made out of grapes should be vegan, but far from all wines are. You might want to stay away from animal products or have vegan friends on a visit. No matter the reason, there are some things you need to keep an eye out for whilst shopping for vegan wine.
There are different methods to clarify the wines, and the use of eggs, gelatin or other animal products has been more cost-effective for the producers. But the consumers around Europe are becoming increasingly interested in vegan wines, leading to new certifications, that guarantee that the wines are free from animal products.
Why aren't all wine vegan?
There are a lot of questions regarding why not all wines are vegan. It sounds logical that a beverage made out of grapes should be vegan, but far from all wines are. There is a simple explanation to this question. In ”ordinary” non-vegan wines, precipitates are removed by clarification and filtration before bottling. In some cases, animal proteins and substances are used during clarification: milk protein, egg white or chitin from shellfish, among other things. This is to get rid of the sediment the wine releases when it is made, stored and aged. The added clarifying agent causes the protein from the fermentation to clump together, sink to the bottom of the beaker and can be removed. in other words, protein removes protein. There are different methods to clarify the wines, and the use of eggs, gelatin or other animal products has been more cost-effective for the producers.
How do you know if your wine is vegan?
Not all wines are made with the more cost-effective way of adding animal products. For example wines with designated origin are often not allowed to use animal products in their wines. So how do you know if your wine is vegan? It is actually starting to be a lot easier to spot vegan wines on the shelves or to know which one is regular or vegan in the stores today.
This is because the vegan movement has become stronger in recent years, and with that several new certifications have been added, that guarantees that the wine does not contain eggs, dairy products or gelatin from pork or fish. Also, wine producers are often proud of their vegan wines and want to show their work by putting it on the labels.
Check the table of content
If you can't find any certifications or labels saying vegan, you can check the table of contents on the bottle. There you can see if the wine contains animal products. If you see any of the below words on the table of content, the wines are made with animal products and are not vegan.
Isinglass (fish bladder)
Casein (milk protein)
Gelatin (boiled up animal parts)
Egg whites
The interest in vegan wines is steadily increasing in Europe
Consumers around Europe are becoming increasingly interested in vegan wines and vegan products in general. It has become a common criterion when looking for a suitable drink that suits everyone at the party. It seems that veganism is no longer something that only occurs in big cities, but interest is also increasing in smaller towns around Europe. This has caused many wine producers to rethink and adapt to the new demand for vegan European wine.
Clarifying agents in wine production
Clarifying agents count as aids and not additives in the wine because almost none of it remains in the liquid when it is bottled. At the same time, it is difficult to guarantee that not even the smallest component remains. There may be traces of egg or milk, and it could cause allergic reactions at the same time, it's not a vegan-friendly option, due to animal products still being in use, even though they may or may not still be present in the wines. Therefore vegan wines are instead clarified and stabilized by using bentonite clay or other fine mesh filters.
Natural wine is usually a good vegan option
Globally, more and more natural wines are being produced and customer demand is steadily rising. Natural wines can be made from different grapes, in different climates and according to different traditions. But no matter where and how they are made, they share a common respect for the raw material and are almost exclusively vegan. So if you are looking for a wine that respects nature, farming and the raw product, natural wines are often a good vegan-friendly choice.
Are Sparkling wines vegan?
Wines of designated origin of protection are often not allowed to use animal products in their wines. We have to note that not all Champagne and sparkling wines are vegan even with a designated origin of protection. But you are more likely to find a vegan wine in this case. Different types of sparkling wines such as Champagne, Cava and Prosecco are in most cases natural wines and vegan.
Sadly It’s nearly impossible to tell when Champagne is vegan just by looking at the bottle as it’s not clearly labelled in this case. In this case, you do well in using a wine app or ask the producer to be sure.
Here is a list of some of the vegan Champagnes you can keep an eye out for in your store or online.
Dom Perignon
Lanson
Piper-Heidseick
Krug
Nicolas Feuillatte
Taittinger
Do vegan wines taste any different than non-vegan wines?
It might taste a bit different, but it's not something most people notice. "Regular" non-vegan wines sometimes have a slight taste of eggs. In vegan wines, you do not have the aftertaste of eggs, of course, for logical reasons. So most would say that if there are any differences in taste at all, it's usually for the better.
