EXPLAINED Vegan wines

Given that wine is the product of grapes and yeast, some may assume that all wines would be suitable for vegans – those who do not consume any kind of animal product – but this isn’t always the case. The increasing shift to a vegan lifestyle may be driven by people’s concern for animal welfare, their own health or environmental impact. But whatever the reasons behind it, many consumers are now seeking the same level of clarity when it comes to the wine in their glass, as already exists for the food on their plate.

The Vegan Society says that 600,000 people in the UK described themselves as vegan in 2019, compared to 150,000 in 2014. Furthermore, according to market research company Ipsos, in 2022 almost half of Brits aged 16-75 are considering reducing their intake of animal products.

In winemaking, it is often traditional fining agents that can make a wine unsuitable for vegans. Wine can self-clarify, but allowing solids to sink naturally to the bottom of a tank or barrel takes time, and time is a precious commodity in commercial wine production. Egg white, gelatine, isinglass (made from fish) or casein (a protein found in milk) can be used to remove tiny particles of sediment in a wine that cannot be removed by filtration – but all are unsuitable for vegans.

Vegan-friendly alternatives include bentonite (a form of clay), pea protein and polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP), a synthetic polymer. However, Tony Milanowski, formerly a lecturer in wine production at Plumpton College, Sussex, but now winery manager at Rathfinny Estate in Sussex, says that the issue goes beyond fining.

‘Veganism is a broad church, because people do it for dietary, ethical and/or environmental concerns,’ he says. ‘Many vegans with stricter interpretations would look to avoid beeswax (used to seal bottles) and agglomerated corks (which use milk-based glues).’

Biodynamic wines that are unfined and unfiltered may still fail some vegans’ ethical standards, depending on the source of manure and animal parts (skulls, horns and organs) used in the vineyard, he adds.

Then there’s the evocative notion of a horse-ploughed vineyard – a nonstarter for the more exacting vegan? ‘Some are not interested in these concerns,’ says Milanowski – because the animal derivatives are not considered to be in the finished product itself.

Regardless, wine retailers and producers have started to help consumers make a choice by highlighting which of their wines they view as being vegan-friendly. UK high-street retailer Majestic defines vegan wine as wine that ‘will not have been fined, filtered or come into contact with anything derived from an animal or dairy source’. At time of writing, it was stocking 240 wines listed as vegan (plus some 320 vegetarian), compared to just 39 in 2018.

In reality, when such criteria are applied, many wines are vegan-friendly. And, with events such as the increasingly popular ‘Veganuary’ slotting into the post-Christmas detox period, vegan wines will surely become less of a phenomenon and more widely accepted and requested.

Louis Jadot, Mâcon-Villages Blanc, Burgundy, France 2021 89

£12 Tesco

The Jadot label is a reliable go-to when it comes to Burgundy, with many labels spanning a wide range of prices and styles. This Mâcon-Villages is among the entrylevel wines, straightforward and enjoyable, and vinified entirely in stainless steel to maximise the fresh floral and fruit-forward aromas. Lively citrus and acacia character, a good value Chardonnay for those who’d rather avoid the more oaky incarnations. Drink 2022-2024 Alcohol 12.5%

Bodegas Fabre, Alta-Yarí Gran Corte, Mendoza, Argentina 2019 94

£24.99 Majestic

Two-thirds Cabernet Franc; Malbec plays second fiddle in this serious Mendoza red (a dash of Cabernet Sauvignon, too), made by talented French winemaker Hervé Joyaux Fabre. He believes the cool-climate Alta-Yarí estate in Gualtallary is one of the best terroirs he has ever found. This will develop further in complexity, but it’s approachable now, with scented dark red berry fruit, freshness and florality, and tobacco leaf notes from the 16 months in French oak. Drink 2022-2030 Alc 14.5%