Do Vegan Wines Differ from Other Wines?

PlantX, a vegan marketplace, added vegan wines to its online grocery selection. Brands in this selection include Rare Earth, Veuve Clicquot, Pino Cellars and Gravel Bar Winery. These options are available for purchase through a category on the web page titled “Plant-Based Wine.”

Not many online grocery platforms have this category included on their e-commerce sites. Therefore, this sets PlantX apart from the others and will allow them to capitalize on it.

“The alcoholic beverage market is one of the fastest-growing industry segments in the US and globally,” said PlantX CEO, Julia Frank in a press release. “The new vertical will allow PlantX to holistically meet customer demands and expectations by expanding its product offerings in line with its mission and values.”

“The vegan community in the US is growing and it is our aim as the one-stop-shop for everything plant-based to address the needs and wants of our customers in the most comprehensive and holistic ways. Having access to vegan wine is a major component of our mission,” said PlantX founder, Sean Dollinger, in the same press release. “The new vertical is a valuable addition to our portfolio.”

What Makes Wine Vegan?

This may come as a shock to many since wine is made from grapes, but not all wine is vegan, and not all are vegetarian either. 

For a wine to be made quickly, some shortcuts can be taken to speed up the clarification process by adding specific agents such as gelatine, isinglass- derived from fish bladder, albumen- egg whites and casein-milk proteins. 

The fining agents are needed because they stick to small particles in the wine, and are discarded when being filtered. Some winemakers believe this removes any odors, colors or haziness in the wine. Still, others say that this process removes the rich flavor and changes the texture of the beverage. 

Not all winemakers mention whether a wine is vegan because there is no regulation that says to include which fining agents were used. In the EU, wines that include milk or egg must be disclosed because they are allergens, but other agents do not. The government says clear labels containing words such as “milk protein,” “milk casein,” “milk,” “egg,” “egg product,” and more need to findable by the consumer.

Related: Ready, Set, Food! Receives $3.5 Million to Help Parents Fight the Food Allergy Epidemic

Does Vegan Wine Taste Different Than Other Wines?

No, the fining agents do not change the taste of the wine. In fact, vegan wine also goes through a winemaking process that removes the same substances in regular wine but instead, uses animal-friendly agents such as bentonite clay, activated charcoal, silica gel and pea gelatine.

Barnivore is an online platform that allows users to check if the wine is vegan or non-vegan friendly. 

According to the Reverse Wine Snob, some of the best vegan wines under $20 in 2021 include, La Granja Tempranillo Garnacha Red Blend, Paul Buisse Chinon Cabernet Franc, Querciabella Mongrana and Domaine Bousquet Sparkling Rosé.