Why Your Wine Might Not Be Vegan — And 5 Producers That Makes Vegan Wines

Vegan wine consumption is dramatically rising as more Britons embrace plant-based lifestyles. The number of vegans in Great Britain increased by 1.1 million between 2023 and 2024 alone. This shift in consumer behaviour has particularly impacted the wine industry. Furthermore, many consumers now view vegan certification as a positive attribute when selecting wines. We’ve noticed this trend ourselves and selected 5 of our producers, including impressive options like Pratsch, Chamans, Bal Da Madre, Antoine De La Farge, and Alpamanta, who offer vegan wine options.

Why aren’t all wines vegan?

Most wine drinkers are surprised to learn that the crystal-clear glass of wine in their hand might not be vegan at all. Despite being made from grapes, many conventional wines use animal products during production. The culprit? A little-known process called “fining” transforms cloudy wine into the pristine liquid most consumers expect.

Animal-based fining agents explained.

The fining process is essentially a method of clarification and stabilisation that removes tiny particles suspended in newly made wine. Without this step, many wines would appear hazy or cloudy due to proteins, yeast, and other organic particles that remain after fermentation.

Traditionally, winemakers have relied on a variety of animal-derived substances to accomplish this clarity. These fining agents work by attracting the suspended particles, binding them, and causing them to sink to the bottom of the vat. Through this process, the clear wine can be separated.

Some of the most common animal-based fining agents include:

• Gelatin: Perhaps the most frequently used agent due to its effectiveness, gelatin comes from boiling animal parts. Astonishingly, around 30g of gelatin can clarify 3700 litres of wine.
• Egg whites: Commonly used in fine red wines, especially in Bordeaux, to remove bitter-tasting phenolics and excess tannins.
• Isinglass: Derived from fish bladders, this collagen-rich substance is primarily used for clearing white wines. The collagen fibres clump together with suspended particles, allowing them to be easily removed.

5 vegan wine producers from our portfolio

That doesn’t mean they’re the only ones producing vegan wines — we’ve chosen these five because they also champion sustainable viticulture in their unique ways!

1. Pratsch Wines – Weinviertel, Austria

Located in Austria’s Weinviertel region, the Pratsch family stands as a pioneering force in organic viticulture, having obtained certification three decades ago. Under Stefan Pratsch’s forward-thinking leadership, the winery has evolved from a traditional family business into a beacon for sustainable, vegan-friendly winemaking.

What sets Pratsch apart is its unwavering commitment to both organic and vegan principles. Stefan ensures his entire range is vegan-friendly by completely avoiding animal products in the winery. Instead of conventional fining agents like gelatine, he innovatively uses pea and potato starch as stabilising agents, proving that quality need not be compromised for ethical considerations.

2. Domaine de Chamans – Minervois, France

Nestled in Minervois (a small AOC in the Languedoc-Roussillon region), Domaine de Chamans represents the epitome of biodynamic winemaking with a rebellious spirit. Their symbol the black sheep encapsulates their philosophy: creating exciting wines by breaking from convention.

The estate follows the lunar calendar in both its viticulture and winemaking decisions. Additionally, a small flock of sheep helps manage weeds between the vines while providing natural fertiliser!

3. Miss Vitis Wines – Beira Interior, Portugal

Gil’s commitment to regenerative agriculture eliminates synthetic products and chemicals from the vineyard. The wines ferment naturally with wild yeasts and are bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulphur, making them truly pure expressions of their terroir.

Aside from being vegan and organic, what makes these wines even more special is that they are shipped from Portugal to the UK with 100% wind power! This means of transportation simply means lower carbon emissions, less disruption to marine life and much less carbon footprint throughout the shipping journey!

4. Antoine De La Farge –The Loire Valley, France

After gaining valuable experience as a wine buyer for one of France’s largest wine merchants, Antoine returned to his family domain in 2012, bringing a wealth of knowledge to their 10-hectare estate. Antonie views himself as a conductor transforming soil into music, with each wine serving as a natural reflection of its terroir.

He favours gravity throughout the winemaking process, ensuring gentle handling that preserves the wine’s integrity. Fermentation occurs naturally, with natural yeasts, allowing authentic terroir expression in every bottle.

5. Alpamanta Wines – Mendoza, Argentina

Established in 2005, Alpamanta stands among the few certified organic and biodynamic projects in Mendoza’s prestigious Luján de Cuyo region.

Situated at 950 metres above sea level, their 35-hectare vineyard enjoys 340 days of sunshine annually, creating perfect conditions for bold, character-driven wines. Their commitment to biodynamics extends beyond conventional practises; they’ve implemented a photovoltaic project comprising 250 solar panels that generate approximately 50% of their operational energy needs.

Most impressively, Alpamanta houses South America’s largest bio-lake a natural water reservoir that not only stores irrigation water but fosters biodiversity by supporting plant species that naturally regenerate and purify the water.

Where to buy vegan wines and what to look for on the label?

Finding vegan wines has become increasingly straightforward as awareness grows among retailers and producers. Knowing what certifications to look for and where to shop makes all the difference in discovering excellent vegan options.

Understanding vegan certifications

The most reliable indicator of a vegan wine is proper certification. In the UK, the Vegan Society offers a sunflower trademark that guarantees products contain no animal ingredients or derivatives. Equally, V-Label certification (recognised by the European Vegetarian Union) ensures wines are free from eggs, honey, milk products, and animal wax. Nevertheless, many producers create vegan-friendly wines without formal certification because the application process can be expensive and lengthy. Thus, most wines labelled “unfined/unfiltered” are naturally vegan even without official certification.

Trusted retailers and online stores

Several excellent retailers specialise in vegan wines. Vintage Roots stands out with over 300 vegan, organic, and biodynamic options. Barnivore, an online directory featuring 61,783 verified vegan alcoholic beverages, serves as an invaluable resource for conscious consumers. Supermarkets and specialist wine retailers, such as Tesco, Sainsbury, Waitrose, and Majestic, also offer a wide range of vegan-certified wines.

Tips for reading wine labels

When examining wine labels, look beyond marketing terms. Remember that “organic” doesn’t automatically mean vegan. Many organic wines still use animal-derived fining agents. If animal-derived ingredients exceed 0.25mg/L, EU regulations require a declaration on the label. However, smaller amounts needn’t be mentioned, making certification logos far more reliable indicators.

It may take some effort to read the label carefully to identify which wines are vegan or not. However, the good news is that excellent vegan wines exist at every price point these days. From everyday Pratsch Gruner Veltliner which is below £15 to Antoine De La Farge Sancerre which is £25 and even fine wines in the market, more and more producers are using vegan agents or even purely gravity to clarify their wines, making their wines more approachable for a wider consumer base.