Is Wine Vegan?
Wine is not always vegan, because its clarification can involve animal-derived products such as gelatin, egg white, or casein 🍷
Even though grapes are indeed of plant origin, the manufacturing process can therefore make certain wines not compatible with a vegan diet.
In this article, we explain why not all wines are vegan and how to easily recognize them 👀
1 - Animal-derived components in wine
Although most wines today are of plant origin, this is not always the case! Some non-plant-based methods are still used in the wine industry.
Let's see which components can pose a problem in certain wines:
a) Wine clarification
In order to clarify wine, the most commonly used method is fining.
To do this, proteins are added to the wine, which catch and bind the grape impurities together, allowing them to be removed more easily.
However, the substances used are as follows:
è Egg white.
This ingredient is used mainly in red wines to soften the tannins (which give red wine its bitter taste).
è Casein, a milk protein.
This protein is used to reduce oxidation in white and rosé wines.
è Gelatin.
Specifically, extracts of animal bones and skins used to clarify and stabilize red and white wines.
è Isinglass.
This substance is extracted from the swim bladder of certain fish, and is useful for the clarification of white wines, and sometimes red wines.
b) Other animal traces in wine: additives and finishes
Animal-derived components are also used for taste, aesthetic, and practical reasons:
è Honey.
Honey can be used to enhance the sweetness of a dessert wine.
è Beeswax.
It is common for beeswax to be used to seal certain bottles, especially natural wines.
è Cochineal.
This substance is a red dye of animal origin (insect) used to tint certain wines, but it is very rarely used.
2 - How to find vegan wine? 🍷🌱
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, most wines today are vegan in their production.
However, you will surely be interested to know where to find certified vegan wine, both in its composition and its clarification process!
Based in Paris and available online, L'Avenue des vins offers a range of vegan and organic wine.
Exclusively online, this boutique offers a carefully chosen selection of vegan, natural, and organic wine. Vinalia favors small producers for authentic and original discoveries.
Their selection of certified vegan wines offers a wide, diverse choice, for all budgets!
"Who says being vegan means giving up the pleasures of wine?"
Their slogan for their vegan wine range reflects the quality of their wine!
