Surely they only contain grapes? 

Although wine is made from grapes, animal-derived and egg based fining agents can be used as part of the filtering process to ensure that the wine in your glass it is clear and free from deposits. 

Although these deposits won’t harm you, most wine drinkers prefer their wines clear and using fining agents has been common in winemaking for decades. The fining agents as well as the deposits are removed as part of the filtering process.

What makes a wine vegan? 

What makes vegan wine different?

Avoiding using animal-derived and egg based fining agents is a key part of making vegan and vegetarian wines. Unfortunately these types of fining agents can be extremely useful.

For example egg white is a gentle way to remove harsh tannins and clarify red wines and historically has been popular for high-quality red wines.

Isinglass (found in fish bladders) is very effective at giving white wine a clear bright appearance.

However there are vegetable protein based agents, derived from potatoes and legumes, which are vegan friendly. Pea protein is one increasingly talked about by wine makers.

How do you know if wine is vegan?

Vegan wines look and taste exactly like non-vegan wines. Therefore you will only know if a wine is vegan if the winemaker tells you. Most commonly it will say it on the label.

Useful Tips!

• Read the label! The only way to tell if a wine is vegan is if it tells you explicitly, usually on the label.
• Mass produced wines can be vegan. For example, there are non-animal products such as bentonite (a form of clay) used by some large producers to fine their white wines. 
• Organic does not guarantee vegan or vegetarian, read the label
• The term “Natural” wine does not guarantee vegan or vegetarian wine. Although many are made with minimal interventions the only way to know for sure is by reading the label.

• Biodynamic wines may be labelled vegan or vegetarian because the wines are made without animal-derived or egg based fining agents, we have some biodynamic vegan wines in our online shop. However, the farming methods used for most Biodynamic wines use animal bones for making some special compost mixtures.

Best Vegan Wines

As the demand for vegan products grows there are an increasing number of producers making their wines suitable for vegan and vegetarian consumers, and an increasing number of retailers including these wines in their range. 

 Check out our range of delicious vegan wines

Our wines are made by innovative winemakers across the world, many in family run wineries. Often young, some female, they bring their passion and dedication to making the best wines for you to enjoy.