Why is wine not vegan?
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Wine is made from grapes, isn't it? Yes and no, because wine is not always vegan. The industry uses a number of tricks to filter wine, from gelatine made from animal skins to fish bladders. Yuck. Fortunately, there is a change in thinking and visionary winemakers who produce ethically sound and environmentally friendly wines. Here you can find out everything you need to know about why wine is not vegan and what to look out for when buying it. At Drops, you will only find vegan wines without artificial additives or animal aids.
What's animal about wine?
The mass-produced wines that you find everywhere in the supermarket (the ones with the pale color) are tricked without end. Animal additives from factory farming are used to remove suspended matter from the wine. It doesn't just sound disgusting, it is. The most commonly used animal additives include gelatine, egg white, casein and fish bladders. This is still common practice in the wine industry, how practical.
Basically, you can rely on the "vegan" label when buying wine. However, the label "unfiltered" or "unclarified" also indicates vegan wines, as clarification has been completely dispensed with during production.
Why are wines not vegan?
A very good question, and yet it may come as a surprise to many, but not all wines are vegan. Animal aids from the meat industry are used at various stages of production to clarify the wine. Animal products such as gelatine, egg white, casein and fish bladders are often used to remove turbidity and clarify the wine. Why do people use animal additives? Unfortunately, the industry is not concerned with quality or ethics; in principle, every wine stabilizes on its own over several months. This is also the reason why the substance used and other additives do not have to be stated on the bottle label in the EU, according to the Federal Institute for Consumer Protection. Thankfully, this will change from the 2024 vintage onwards, as the EU is passing a law requiring such information on labels. More on this in the link.
Either way, the wine is not vegan. The binding definition of plant-based foods, as stated by the German Food Association, states that no animal products may be used in any of the production and processing steps. This also includes additives that are later removed. Wines are therefore not vegan if they contain any of these animal additives. This applies to all types of wine, regardless of the grape variety, growing region or price.
Can wine be vegan?
Yes, all natural wine is vegan, but industrially produced wine can also be vegan. Plant-based aids are used to clarify the wine and improve its taste, such as bentonite, a type of clay used to clarify the wine. However, other agents such as activated charcoal or the mineral diatomaceous earth are also used for clarification. Plant-based clarifying agents have a number of advantages over animal-based clarifying agents (e.g. gelatine, egg white). They are vegan, i.e. suitable for vegetarians and vegans. They are also generally less expensive than animal-based clarifiers. Whether producers choose to use an additive or not depends on factors such as the type of wine, the desired clarification effect and the cost. But one thing is certain: the wines are manipulated and are therefore no longer considered natural wines. You can also be sure that at Drops you will only find natural wines that have never been clarified with animal or vegetable aids. Our winemakers give the wines the time they need to stabilize and clarify on their own.
So how can you recognize vegan wine?
Basically, you can rely on the "vegan" label when buying wine. However, the label "unfiltered" or "unclarified" also indicates vegan wines, as no clarification has been carried out during production. However, there are some winemakers who do not use the "vegan" label because they have been working without technical aids and filtration for decades. The best way to find out more is to ask your local wine merchant or do some research online.
Vegan wines in the Drops natural wine shop
Hand on heart, if you have read this far, you can be sure that we only offer unfiltered and unadorned natural wines that have never seen animal or vegetable aids in their production. We work with winemakers who give their wines as much time as they need to stabilize. Vegan label or not, all our wines are vegan and are artisanal artifacts of their craftsmanship.
