I recently decided to expand my "organic nutrition" to wine. Afterall - it is a "healthy" indulgence, so therefore a measurable step on my path to better choices. (How is that for logic?)
At the Wine & Spirits store, tucked in the back corner is the tiny "Organic" wine section. By tiny - I refer to less than two dozen selections among a vast inventory of hundreds and hundreds of wines. This limited fare afforded me the opportunity to read every bottle before making my choice.
Some bottles touted their organic traits in big bold letters while others discreetly noted it on the label. I picked up a bottle that was so brightly colored and artistically full of graphics that I almost missed the little green emblem that simply stated "Vegan."
VEGAN? Vegan means "no animal products." Wine is grapes and yeast - Why would one be compelled to include 'Vegan' on the label? Of course wine is vegan. Isn't it ?
I selected four bottles of wine to begin my quest of perfect organic vintages. They were chosen for one and ONLY one reason: They were the cheapest.
Once at home, curiosity got the best of me .. specifically the little green VEGAN emblem. So, I went online to learn a bit about wine and how it relates to Veganism. It seems that most vintners use animal products to clarify their wine - a process called fining. (see the list below ..UGH!!!) Further research brought me to a site: barnivores.com. A site classifying wines as "vegan friendly" "possibly vegan friendly" or "NOT vegan friendly"
I looked up my usual fare and found "Not vegan friendly" "Not vegan friendly" "Not vegan friendly" .... oh oh. Darn !! But now, I have the knowledge to make wiser decisions about wine. So let's raise our glasses in thanks for the vinters of Vegan wine !
THIS IS THE INFO ABOUT ANIMAL PRODUCTS IN THE WINE MAKING PROCESS:
During the wine making process both organic and non-organic vintners typically employ the use of clarifying/fining agents derived from animal products - those ranging from:
Gelatine - from bones and connective tissues of cows or pigs
Isinglass - obtained from fish swim bladders
Chitin - derived from the shells of crabs or lobsters
Casein - obtained from cows milk
Albumin - from egg whites
Bentonite - a type of clay
Bull's blood is also used in some Mediterranean countries but is not allowed in the U.S. or France.
