VEGAN WINESVetted from Soil to Bottle

Is Wine Vegan? Why Most Wine Isn't

Short answer: no. Wine is fermented grape juice, but most producers clarify it with fining agents made from fish, milk, eggs, shellfish or animal bones. Those agents are filtered out before bottling, yet the wine is no longer vegan — and because they count as processing aids rather than ingredients, they never have to appear on the label.

That's exactly why Vegan Wines exists. We visit the vineyards, ask the uncomfortable questions, and vet every bottle from soil to bottle — so you never have to wonder what's in your glass.

How to Tell If a Wine Is Vegan

Four checks you can make in the aisle — from most to least reliable.

  1. 1

    Look for “unfined and unfiltered”

    Wines labelled unfined and unfiltered skip the fining stage entirely, so no animal agent was ever used. A little natural sediment is normal and harmless.

  2. 2

    Look for a vegan certification mark

    Some bottles carry a Certified Vegan or V-Label logo on the back label. It's reliable when it's there, but most vegan wine is never certified — its absence proves nothing.

  3. 3

    Read the back label for allergen warnings

    In the EU and UK, “contains milk” or “contains egg” must be declared when casein or albumen was used. In the US these are voluntary, so a clean label is not a guarantee.

  4. 4

    Ask the winery directly

    Fining agents are treated as processing aids, not ingredients, so they legally never have to appear on the label. A short email to the winery is the only certain answer — it's exactly what we do for every bottle we list.

What Makes a Wine Not Vegan: The Hidden Animal Ingredients

These are the most common animal-derived fining agents and additives found in conventional winemaking.

Fish bladder

Isinglass

A pure form of collagen derived from the swim bladders of fish (often sturgeon). It's one of the oldest and most common fining agents, used to make white wines brilliantly clear.

Animal skin and bones

Gelatin

A protein made from boiling the skin, tendons, ligaments and bones of cows or pigs. It's used to soften harsh tannins in red wines.

Milk protein

Casein

A milk-derived protein used to remove off-odors and correct browning or discoloration in white and rosé wines.

Egg whites

Albumen

Egg whites are a classic fining agent in premium red wines, binding to excess tannins and dropping out of suspension with them.

Shellfish shells

Chitosan

A carbohydrate derived from the exoskeletons of crustaceans like shrimp and crab. Marketed as a modern fining agent, it's anything but vegan.

Cochineal insects

Carmine

A red coloring made from crushed insects, occasionally used in liqueurs and wine-based drinks to achieve a deep red hue.

How Vegan Wine Is Made Instead

Vegan alternatives exist and they're excellent. Bentonite clay, activated charcoal, and plant-based pea protein do the same job without a single animal product. The family vineyards we partner with use them — and their wines are better for it.

Join our free club and we'll send you the links to shop their collections at member prices, with ground shipping included.

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Vegan Wines in the Press

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