As Veganuary and dry January come to a close, it’s time to celebrate what you have accomplished. If you have adopted a vegan lifestyle or are contemplating one, there’s something you should know. Not all wine is vegan friendly.
A lot of people are unaware that wine, despite being a fancy grape juice for adults, may have been made using animal-derived products. To refine wine, the delicious liquid is filtered through substances called “fining agents.” This process is used to remove unwanted flavours and colourings, and other organic particles. Common fining agents include gelatine, fish oil and bone marrow.
However, thanks to the surge in veganism popularity, both merchants (like us) and wine producers have had a rethink and discarded the animal products in a lot of the wines we and they offer. Replacing them are charcoal and clay-based alternatives, safe for both vegetarians and vegans alike.
For a full list of our vegan wines please get in touch!
Our wine expert James has provided a list of his favourite vegan wines below:
Fowles Wines "Are you Game?" Pinot Noir
Tasting Notes: With a dash of Zinfandel this Pinot Noir blushes bright ruby red. Aromas of cherry and red plum play with earthy characters and notes of oak. The palate is fresh with rich red fruits.
Yealands Land Made Sauvignon Blanc
Tasting Notes: The winemakers have chosen to allow the land to tell its own story, selecting parcels of grapes carefully nurtured from the vine to the bottle. Shows notes of stone fruit and guava, underpinned with notes of fresh herbs. Palate is brimming with zingy fruit that is balanced with a long, crisp mineral finish.
Bogle Vineyards Chardonnay
Tasting notes: Classic Clarksburg personality shines through in the green apple and pear notes, while a bit more tropical pineapple breezes by. The rich mouthfeel created by aging on the lees abounds mid-palate, while the finish is wrapped in creamy textures and tones from the malolactic fermentation. Spicy American oak notes of butterscotch and vanilla are the perfect balance to the freshness and acidity of this multifaceted wine.
Cuma Organic Malbec
Tasting notes: Made with organically grown grapes, this savoury red wine is a thrilling mix of dark, brooding fruit and fragrant punchy spice. This is a medium bodied wine bursting with notes of plums, dates, vanilla and fresh herbs. Ripe, soft tannins on the palate give structure to the flavoursome spicy palate. An easy drinking red.
Food match: Great for lentil soup, garlic, walnuts and eggplant dishes
Chivite Rosado, Las Fincas, Rosé
Tasting Notes: This is a food friendly rose. The Garnacha and Tempranillo grapes are grown on the Finca de Lardeta, land that has belonged to the Chivite family for hundreds of years, where the continental climate and soil contribute to the characteristics of all of the Chivite wines. The nose is intense. Very fruity, strawberry, pomegranate, raspberry, blackberry with rose petals at the end. The Palate is smooth and tasty. Balanced and satisfying mouth feel. Long persistence on the finish with notes of cherry in the aftertaste. Delicious!