Vegan wines were cited as one of top wine trends to watch in recent years, thanks to our increasing appetite for all things plant-based.
And while some online retailers have ‘vegan wine’ sections on their websites, trying to find one can be quite vexing at times.
“With the rise of vegan food, restaurants and cafés comes the rise of vegan wines,” says Nicholas Jones, head buyer and winemaker at Winebuyers.com, an online wine club connecting vineyards, producers and specialist merchants with wine lovers.
Want to know how to up your vegan wine game? Jones explains everything you need to know.
What’s the difference between vegan wine and non-vegan wine?
“Many would naturally think that all wine is vegan; it’s made from grapes after all. However, most wines are not and that is down to the ‘fining’ process when winemaking.
“Most young wines are cloudy in colour and contain tiny molecules of proteins, yeast and other organic particles. However, most wine lovers like their wine clear and bright, and many fining and clarification methods can be used to accelerate this clarification of a wine.
“Waiting for solids to sink by gravity and skimming off the clarified juice takes time and with some protein-rich grape varieties, it’s near-on impossible and very wasteful.
“The greater time the juice is left to settle increases the chances of microbes spoiling the juice, and therefore it’s a swell idea to get it clean and fermenting as soon as you can.
“So, fining agents are used to polish a final wine again where time doesn’t allow for gravity to take its course. Traditionally, fining agents are of animal origin; most notably gelatin, fish oil, and egg whites. But, these products are carefully removed from the remaining wine as the whole point of their addition is to clarify the wine and not leave floaters behind.
“The addition of animal derived products doesn’t mean they end up in your glass, as these compounds are separated from what you drink, but there is an outside chance that a miniscule amount of these will end up in your system.
“From a vegan perspective, it’s the exploitation of animals that are used in the winemaking process, and not necessarily having animals end up in the final bottle, that counts.
“Other filtering and fining agents are used in vegan wines, and a favourite for me is derived from a pea protein. A lot of winemakers use a clay-based finer called bentonite, or potatoes get the job done too.”
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Does vegan wine taste different?
“The wines would have differences in flavour due to the different treatment in the winemaking process. Every action, or inaction, in the winery has a result. With a huge number of variables at play, it wouldn’t be fair to say if a vegan wine would taste better or worse though.”
How can you to tell if a wine is vegan?
“When it comes to telling if your wine is vegan, this can be tricky as there are no rules about needing to list all the ingredients on a wine bottle.
“However, the rising interest in vegan wines in recent years has meant that most winemakers are labelling their wine vegan-friendly – and websites, like Winebuyers.com, will have a section dedicated to vegan products, making them much easier to find.”
Are more vegan wines becoming available?
“As for the future of vegan wines, I believe this is only set to increase in popularity. Where a rise of veganism is seen, wine will follow.
“However, the more we educate people that vegan wines are not necessarily any better for them, or the environment, we could see a dip in the other direction.”
Where can you buy vegan wines?
With a library of more than 700 vegan wines, you’ll be spoilt for choice at Winebuyers. But with its ripeness and assurance (the producer is certified organic and biodynamic too), we love their Viu Manent Secret Viognier 2017, Chile (£14.74, Winebuyers.com), with its fresh and complex aromas of ripe pear, papaya, apricot.
And thanks to the growing interest, most winemakers are labelling their wines accordingly but it’s always worth checking the back of the bottle – and you don’t have to stray from the supermarket shelves or have to pay a fortune for your vegan food and wine matches.
As Gyles Walker, senior wine buyer, Co-op, points out: “Co-op was the first ever retailer to list allergens and ingredients on wines and we have since rolled out clear vegan labelling across our own-brand wines. We continue to work closely with all our producers to support the switch to vegan-friendly fining agents to filter our wines where we can.”
One of the best on offer is their Irresistible Casablanca Valley Pinot Noir (£7) – a multi-medal winning wine full of ripe cherry aromas.
Encouragingly, as demand for vegan wines continues, Sainsbury’s are seeing an increasing number of producers opting for vegan-friendly methods. “We’re delighted to offer customers a breadth of choice, with approximately 65% of our own-brand range being suitable for vegans,” says the supermarket’s buyer, Tom Holliday.
“Brilliant new options include our Taste the Difference Galliac Blanc 2018, France (£8, Sainsburys), a light bodied, crisp and zesty white.”
“And our Taste the Difference Galliac Rouge 2017, France, (£8, Sainsburys), a deeply-coloured, fruit and smooth red, packed full of bold flavours,” says Holliday.
M&S are in on the trend too, with more than 70% of their range entirely vegan, to help draw drinkers’ attention to including more vegan elements into their overall diet and lifestyle. Sue Daniels, one of M&S’ winemakers, says the movement is gaining momentum: “It’s really exciting that our wine selection is part of this and we can offer such a wide range of choices – from a traditional Rioja to a new world Chenin Blanc.”
Try their zesty and refreshing Helderberg Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, Stellenbosch, South Africa (£9, Marks & Spencer).
Elsewhere, Laithwaite’s stocks more than 150 vegan wines, and their range reflects the budding interest. To make the most of vegetable based risottos, try their very likeable Campanula Pinot Grigio 2019, Dunántúl, Hungary (£9.99), with its ripe, tangy, lemony fruits and perfect balance of refreshing acidity.
And to add a bit more va-va-voom to veggie bakes, vegan chilli or tofu au vin even, go for a glass of this nicely poised Tarantella Merlot 2018, Tarantino IGP, Puglia, Italy (£10.99, Laithwaite’s), with its sun-kissed plummy spiced fruits wrapped in silky smooth tannins – guaranteed to please vegans, vegetarians, non-vegans and wine lovers alike.
A top-end Valpolicella to bring more than a dose of panache to plant-based recipes, Musella Valpolicella Superiore 2017, Italy (£19.26, Armit Wines) is a wonderfully perfumed, cherry-fruited gem that sings from the glass with an aromatic core of voluptuous, concentrated fruit – and it’s no surprise to hear the winemaker is at the top of her game.
“Drinkers are more aware of where their wine is coming from than ever before and we have seen a massive increase in interest in organic, biodynamic and vegan wines,” says Alexander Hill, brand manager, Armit Wines.
“Musella is a pioneer of sustainable agriculture and Maddalena Pasqua di Bisceglie is leading the charge.” Chin-chin!
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