The existence in itself of vegan wines can be surprising for some. Indeed, the question you may ask is: How can fermented grape juice not be vegan? In other words: How are animals implicated in wine production?
Here is the answer: During the winemaking process, usually during the clarifying process, different substances that can trouble vegan consumers are often added.
We generally prefer our wines to be clear and transparent rather than cloudy. Therefore, most producers clarify their wines and the quickest way to do this, is to add a fining agent. This operation is regularly performed using:
- Egg whites
- Casein (a protein found in milk)
- Gelatine
- Fish glue
The aim of the fining agent is to remove tiny particles of sediment that cannot be removed by filtration. The fining agent will absorb the sediment and precipitate them out of the liquid to leave it clear. This is only of visual interest since the taste remains unchanged. Important to know: These fining agents are processing aids and no additives to the wine. These agents get filtered out of the wine along with the sediment molecules.
However, over the past few years, wine producers have become aware of the increasing demand for vegan wine. This way, animal-based fining agents are regularly being replaced by products based on vegetables such as:
- Bentonite (mineral clay)
- Pea or potato glue
- Coal
In reality, many wines are vegan friendly but it can be difficult to tell. Regulations in the European Union do not currently require wineries to list fining agents on labels. Moreover, other animal products can be used in wine production such as beeswax to seal bottles or milk-based glue to agglomerated corks.
In conclusion, a vegan wine does not taste any different from a “normal” wine. In fact, the animal-based products are only used for visual and aesthetic purposes.
Club Lavender offers you four different vegan wines for you to enjoy:
Try them out! (Whether you’re a vegan or not!)
Cheers!
Your Club Lavender Team
0 comments