How to Buy Vegan Wine

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: April 15, 2021 References

Vegan wine may sound like an odd concept. Since wine is made from grapes, why would it contain animal by-products? The truth is that animal ingredients are used in the processing and filtration of most wines. Most vegan wines are not labeled as such, and most wines in general do not list their ingredients on the label. This can make finding vegan wines very difficult. So whether you are visiting your local store or taking a day trip to a winery, doing some preliminary research on vegan wine will make finding and purchasing it that much easier.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Researching Vegan Wines

1
Pay attention to the fining agents used to make the wine. The fining agents are the ingredients used for the filtering process. Gelatin (extract from animal sinew), egg albumen (egg whites), caseins (protein from milk), and isinglass (fish bladders) are some common animal by-products used as fining agents.^{[1]
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- Vegan wine will often have activated charcoal, clay, or seaweed-based ingredients as the fining agent.^{[2]
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- Winemakers typically do not print the fining agents used on the bottle labels. So to find this out, you are most likely going to have to do some online research on a particular brand of wine.^{[3]
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2
Find the list of ingredients for wines not advertised as vegan. If you are unsure if a specific wine you are researching is vegan or not, you may be able to look up the list of ingredients, but don't take it at face value. Currently, winemakers are not required by law to list the fining agents on the ingredients label.^{[4]
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- If you are unable to find the list of ingredients, then you can look up the specific wine on websites, like Barnivore, that offer a vegan beverage directory.^{[5]
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If you know you have a limited number of stores to purchase wine from and don't have any wineries near you, then look for wine that is labeled as: unfiltered, unrefined, non-fined, or unclarified.^{[6]
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Research source} Some vineyards will produce unfiltered wine for its organic properties. This means that there will be no animal additives since no filtration process is used.^{[7]
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Search online for vegan wine or local wineries that sell vegan wine. Vegan winemakers often promote their vegan wines online. Many of the smaller wineries produce or even specialize in vegan wines, and will allow you to go to the winery and sample wines as well as purchase them.^{[8]
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- A couple of brands to look for would be wines produced by the Santa Maria Vineyard & Winery and the Macari Vineyards. Both offer several different vegan-friendly wines.^{[9]
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- If you are new to the world of vegan wines, then you might want to make a detailed list of the vegan wines or local wineries that interest you. This will give you something to refer to and take notes on when you contact your local stores or wineries directly. ^{[10]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Finding Vegan Wines at Local Stores and Wineries

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Check your local stores for vegan wine. Referring to the brands of vegan wines you found online, look for the brands at your local wine store or supermarket. Not all stores will carry vegan wine, so you may have to check with a few different stores before finding one that does.^{[11]
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- If you want to save yourself some time, you can even call your local store ahead of time to see if it carries a specific brand of wine.
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Contact local wineries and see if they produce vegan wines. Not all of the wineries near you will offer vegan wines. While you may come across wineries that specialize in vegan wines, some of the wineries may not publicize it. Your best bet is to call the winery and ask.^{[12]
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- If you are looking for a particular type of vegan wine, like red or white, make sure to ask the winery if it carries it.^{[13]
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- Some wineries will use red dye that comes from insects on the bottle labels, or use animal fertilizers to produce the wine. So be sure to ask about the types of packaging dyes and fertilizers that the winery uses on its vegan wine.^{[14]
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Depending on the brand, you may be able to order the vegan wine online. Many individual winemakers and their affiliated distributors have websites from which you can purchase vegan wine directly. Keep in mind that many places sell vegan wine in bulk and not by the bottle. Since it is heavy, the shipping might be costly.
This is a great alternative for people who often eat out at restaurants or who attend gatherings where alcohol is present. Having an app handy like “Vegan Wines,” an Android app, or “Vegaholic,” an iOS app, will allow you to quickly look up a specific brand and determine whether it is vegan or not.^{[15]
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