A smooth, flavorful glass of wine will calm even an over-stressed soul. But have you ever wondered what is actually in your wine? For those of us who choose not to consume animal products this a question that may come up often. For many vegans there are products that border on the line of being vegan, such as honey or silk. These products are not as veganistically simple to decide on as a steak, and wine is a classic example.
So you are thinking: What? Of course wine is vegan, its made out of crushed grapes, right? Although, grapes and other fruits may be the main ingredient, the fining process of wine is not always vegan. Depending on the winery, wines can be filtered through a number of ways. Some wineries use animal products such as gelatin (made from cow or pig bones) or casein (derived from milk) or even chitin (fish bladders). However, some wines are processed using vegan friendly and non animal bi-products such as plant derived casein and certain types of clays. If you’re curious about learning more about the vegan filtering process, we recommend that you check out Veggie Wines, a UK-based vegan information organization, or the May 2006 article on the topic by Vegetarians in Paradise.
So what about organic wines? Many of them boast a non filtered or organic natural fining process, but are they necessarily vegan? Since organic wine requires the product to be produced with organically grown grapes and must not contain sulfites (usually added as a preservative and is what causes that pesky morning-after headache), it would seem that organic wine would also refrain from fining with animal products. This however, is not always the case, so make sure you read the fine print.
Organic wines that are completely unfiltered are usually vegan and will most likely state this right on the label. We recommend the oldest organic vineyard in the country and multiple award-winner Frey Wines (which was also very popular at our World Fair Trade Day organic wine tasting earlier this month!). Or you can check out the vegan sampler from The Organic Wine Company which is a great value and a fun way to taste test vegan organic wines!
The best way to know if an organic (or non organic) wine is completely vegan, is to contact the manufacturer. Luckily, as most vegan products go, someone has already done this work for you! Check out the comprehensive vegan wine guides by Vegan Connection and the blog Taste Better.
So, when choosing your next bottle to share with friends and family, whether you or vegan or not, remember: organic wines are easier on the environment and, best of all, will not leave you with a throbbing wine-over the next day!
May 28, 2008 at 11:57 am
I find that vegan and unfiltered wines have the ability to represent a place (terroir) unlike filtered wines. They’re definitely worth exploring. On the organic front, another reason to drink organic wine is that an EU study recently found pesticide traces – some of which are carcinogenic – in all conventional wines. Check out the story at http://www.OrganicWineJournal.com.
August 13, 2008 at 7:46 pm
[…] 2 (750 ml) bottles of organic and vegan Riesling wine […]
October 8, 2008 at 9:23 pm
[…] Posted by autonomieproject under Uncategorized Earlier this year we wrote a piece on organic and vegan wine. However, we are now happy to highlight Etica Fair Trade! This is a small and new company that […]
July 5, 2010 at 5:55 pm
I think Etica went out of business…I just went to their website and it didn’t click through properly. Can you do a follow up story and publish what happened? Thanks!
July 7, 2010 at 7:21 am
Hi There!
Thanks for your comment. I am not sure why the link did not work, as Etica is still in business and their website is still up and running! Please try their website again: http://www.eticawines.com.
Thanks again,
Gina @AP
January 31, 2009 at 2:25 pm
[…] suggest you try the Fat Tire or Trippel. If your guests would rather drink wine, consider serving vegan or organic wines. And finally if your loved ones choose not to drink, be sure to serve alternatives for them such as […]
December 24, 2009 at 5:12 pm
[…] existing now including: Frey Vineyard and Organic Wine Company. For some great recommendations read this article on organic and vegan wines as well as the Organic Wine Journal. If you are looking for a nice Fair Trade wine, look no further […]
June 30, 2010 at 11:33 am
[…] wondering why pay more for organic beer, check out our write-up on the benefits of organic beers. Organic and vegan wines are also readily available! But if you prefer the hard stuff, almost every type of liquor from […]