Not all wine is vegan-friendly!
I have to admit, part of the reason why I didn't know this is because I don't really love wine. I'm a beer kinda girl. (Who doesn't love a good stout?)
So I've been on a rampage to find a good Washington-made wine to bring my friend Grandy Andy when I visit Portland. :) This adventure has turned into something a little more intense than I thought. My friends Tyrell, Mary, and Andy invited me to go to wine tastings with them this week, so I could find a good wine / maybe learn to like wine.
When I went to the first wine tasting, I noticed a wine on the bottom rack that was labeled "The Vegan Vine."
So I asked the wine store guy what makes this vegan-friendly. He said that a lot of wines are finished or processed with animal ingredients or byproducts! Just like beer, so I should have guessed. :(
I asked him how I could find out if a wine was vegan. He said that since there are no laws on labeling wine with ingredients / processing methods, it's really hard to tell if a wine is vegan-friendly. However, a lot of Indian wines are vegan-friendly (and have a green dot on the label) and of course, The Vegan Vine has all vegan wines.
So when I got home, I did a lot more research on this subject.
http://vegans.frommars.org/wine/faq.php#1.2
^^^^^^ This link helped answer a LOT of my questions.
To summarize what I've learned:
A) The non-vegan ingredients usually used to make wine are gelatin, egg whites, casein, isinglass, and sometimes even blood (but rarely).
B) Most wines aren't labelled with their ingredients or processing methods, so you usually have to contact the winery to find out what they use or buy wines that are specifically labelled as vegan.
C) This link: http://vegans.frommars.org/wine/ has a list of wines that are vegan! Sweet!
So anyways, now you know. And you're probably also pissed that you know because now that's just another thing you have to make sure is animal-friendly.
Sorry. But also, you're welcome.
<3
hate to burst your bubble abbie, but you mentioned liking stouts. stouts are usually not vegan or vegetarian.
ReplyDeleteYou can go to http://www.barnivore.com/ to learn about all the vegan beers, wines, and other booze. You help expand the list too! TONS of good stuff out there.
ReplyDeleteOoo! Thanks guys! :) I kinda suspected that about stouts, Emily, but was terrified to research it. :( No more stout-age for me.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Abbie,
ReplyDeleteGreat article and compliments for your blog!
I would to contact you by email but I could not find it here.
I am trying to get interest in UK for Menicocci Vegan wines, as lots of Vegan people does not know that a vegan wine is not so easy to produce (especially in Menicocci's way, also with no added sulphur, a very natural wine).
All the information are here
www.veganitaly.com
Cristina Menicocci has also a project to increase the ornhitological fauna of the farm as a natural "preservative" of her vineyard (some winegrowers use pesticides to the vineyard and they have the Vegan certification just because they do not put anything during the transformation of grapes into wine).
Respecting the environment (being organic as well) is a "must" to be Vegan!
Please contact me if you have got time.
I hope to get your collaboration!
Thanks a lot
Fabrizio