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Vegan wine? Isn't it all vegan?
It turns out that animal protein is commonly used in the winemaking process.

By

Leah Koenig
Mon, Oct 05 2009 at 10:49 AM
 11

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Vegetarianism & Veganism

VEGAN, MAYBE: It takes a little research to determine whether your wine is vegan, as some wines that are vegan are not marketed as such. (Photo: theonetruedevo/Flickr)

 
During my two-year stint as a vegan in college, I often joked that while 90 percent of dining hall food was off-limits, at least I could always find a drink. (Clearly, I had never heard of the bacon martini.) But on a recent vacation to America’s wine capitol, Napa Valley, I stumbled upon an unappetizing fact: All along, I just might have been drinking fish guts.
 
“It comes from the bladder of a sturgeon,” said Peter Hoffmann. We were standing in a newly built shed in his fig tree-adorned backyard, sampling wines from his organic and biodynamic label, Aum Cellars — straight from the barrel. Needless to say, I felt pretty cool about that. In between swirls and sips, Hoffmann explained fining — the process of introducing a tiny amount of protein into wine to attract any loose particles (tiny bits of grape skin or stems, naturally occurring yeasts, etc.) and help them settle to the bottom of the barrel. Fining, he said, helps to smooth out a wine, ultimately giving it a silkier, more consistent mouth feel. “It’s the equivalent of driving a Mercedes instead of a pickup truck,” Hoffmann said. 
 
Despite the benefits of fining with traditional agents like isinglass (sturgeon bladder aka “fish guts”), egg white albumen, gelatin or casein (a milk protein), vegan purists say it renders the wine unfit to drink. Meanwhile, some winemakers — both vegan and not — believe that fining can remove too much sediment, taking the wine’s complexity and key flavors with it. In response to the growing market for animal-free vino, some wineries have started to specialize in vegan-friendly wines that either skip the fining process or substitute the traditional agents with a natural clay called bentonite, or with diatomaceous earth, which is sourced from hard-shelled fossilized algae.
 
"Hoffmann said that Europe — particularly France — has warmed up to the idea of animal-free wine since 1997 when, during the height of the mad cow disease scare, the European Union banned the practice of fining wines with dried bull’s blood. In the United States, wineries and consumers have been less eager to embrace the trend (though the use of animal blood is also banned in American winemaking). As a result, the number of intentionally vegan wineries remains in the significant minority." 
 
Terry Hall, communications director for the Napa Valley Vintners, said that while Napa wineries are generally known for their dynamic and cutting-edge sustainability practices, he could not name one of their 350 partner vineyards that touts its wine as vegan. Still, he said many wineries avoid fining with egg whites or other animal-based agents simply because they are expensive. Often, he said, their wines may be vegan-friendly by default, even if they do not market their products that way. 
 
As a biodynamic winemaker, Hoffmann said he relies largely on moon cycles to help filter and clarify his wines. While he does use trace amounts of organic eggs in fining Aum Cellars’ white wines, he said, “[for the reds] I go with pure gravity and the apogee and perigee cycle of the moon [the distance the moon is from the sun at a given point during the month]. That way I’m not robbing the wine of anything it has to offer [by fining.]” A former vegan himself, Hoffmann also indicates on the label that his red wines are made without animal byproducts.
 
Before my visit to Napa, I always assumed that the “vegan” stamp I occasionally saw on wine bottles was one of those meaningless descriptors that marketing teams use to improve a product’s appeal within a particularly dietary zeitgeist — like stamping “fat free” on a package of baby carrots. Now that I am armed with wine’s deep, dark fishy secret, the phrase “drink responsibly” has taken on a whole new meaning.
 
3 vegan wines to try
 
Aum Cellars: Hoffmann uses small amounts of organic egg in fining their delicious white wines, but the reds are completely vegan and also organic and biodynamic to boot.
  • St. Helena Cabernet ($37)
 
Girasole Vineyards: Located two hours north from San Francisco in Mendocino, Girasole grapes are organically grown and processed using sustainable, animal-free processes. 
  • Girasole Vineyards Pinot Noir ($16)
  • Girasole Vineyards Chardonnay ($13)
 
Frey Vineyards: Another Mendocino beauty, Frey Vineyards, claims to be the first biodynamic vineyard in the U.S.
  • Organic Merlot ($27)
  • Organic Petite Sirah ($13.50)
Find other vegan-friendly wines at the Barnivore website and for more related articles, check out MNN's wine section.
 
MNN homepage photo: AndrewJohnson/iStockphoto

 

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Comments: 11
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anonymous
Emily Jul 27 2012 at 3:01 AM

Hi Leah,

Interesting article - thanks for sharing your thoughts.

You might be interested in this blog post on The Horse's Mouth (a link to your article has been included).
http://excelsiorwineblog.wordpress.com/

Kind regards, Emily

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anonymous
vigi Apr 19 2012 at 5:34 AM
I think vegans are people who do not purposely support the slaughter of animals that feel pain. that is to say have nociceptive afferents and are clearly showing the signs of dire distress(conducted scientifically). so most bugs can be eaten by vegans. and yeast?OF COURSE YOU CAN. The whole point here is to reduce suffering. IMO the greater the higher brain function the worst it is to eat it. Like eating monkey's brain(I heard of that). Or mammals. They're so closely related to us humans! It comes
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down to intelligence and the sensation of pain
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anonymous
chris Mar 23 2010 at 4:46 PM

Working in the wine industry has brought me closer to the cycles of the earth and life than non-agriculture careers, and I revere it on a spiritual level. So I take great offence that the author equated drinking fish guts and wine. Because 'fining' agents settle out and are left behind or are filtered out, there are no 'fish guts' egg-whites, or bulls blood in wine. Seeking purity in everything you consume isn't healthy. Give thanks and have a glass of something good tonight.

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anonymous
Kate Dec 17 2010 at 5:48 AM
I understand your defensiveness, but, may I say, that on the flip-side, the author was most likely writing this article to an audience of vegans. As a former carnivore, (current vegetarian), who is moving ever closer toward veganism, this is an issue that is very important to those of us who are making such dietary changes in our lives. In response to your argument, it isn't that something may have been in contact with animal by-products, it is that animals are being used/abused/slaughtered needlessly
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when there are other alternatives. It is about compassion for all living things and just trying to live on a cleaner planet. Your response begs the question, is it necessary to limit everyone who likes wine to fining agents that are derived from animals, or, is this a free country where we are allowed to choose what we consume? Lastly, "seeking purity in everything [I] consume" is indeed healthy. Why on earth would I consume impure things if I didn't need to? Thank you, and yes, now I shall enjoy a glass of "vegan" wine.
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anonymous
Mark Oct 14 2009 at 12:10 AM
Allan - Regarding your reply "The Vegan Response"... well said indeed. As a follow up regarding the animal fining agents (speaking mainly to the "vegan purists" that the article mentioned): Have you ever picked grapes and made wine? You can't tell me for a minute that no bees, earwigs, ants and other "animals" can be 100% extracted before going into the de-stemmer and then the fermenter. Especially in the HUGE volumes that commercial wineries produce. It's the "secret ingredient" wineries don't want
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you to know about. Especially the earwigs ;-) Granted the amounts of the residual "Animals" would literally be microscopic, but so are the residuals from the aforementioned "Animal" fining agents that precipitate to the bottom of barrels then get racked off and almost always sterile filtered (especially white wines). Now what about yeast? Hmmmmm. That could be debatable too depending on your degree of "veganism" and your interpretation of definitions. But I won't go there right now. Sorry, vegans. If it makes you feel any better, I used to be one.
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janetvan
janetvan Dec 11 2011 at 1:56 AM

I'm afraid the bug argument doesn't fly. The difference between the accidental inclusion of bugs and the use of a fish-based product is that many vegans are concerned about the conscious and purposeful use of animals and animal products as an industrial norm. I'm not going to freak out because there might be bug guts in my wine or my rice or my cilantro, but when I can choose not to have an animal product used in something, I am going to make that choice.

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anonymous
Joel Oct 08 2009 at 4:41 PM

It is important to note that bentonite and diatomaceous earth have different functions than the proteinaceous fining agents. A winemaker doesn't substitute Bentonite for gelatin, for example because they are used to acheive different ends. Winemakers can however, avoid using proteinacious fining agents by gentle handling of the fruit and must.

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anonymous
Allen Oct 08 2009 at 12:11 PM
Although I can't speak for all of the millions of extremely diverse vegans in the world, I think I may be able to answer the 2 questions directed to vegans in the comments here. Let's start with a definition of the word vegan from the organization that invented the term. The Vegan Society defines veganism as “a philosophy and way of living which seeks to exclude — as far as is possible and practical — all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose;
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and by extension, promotes the development and use of animal-free alternatives for the benefit of humans, animals and the environment.” Most vegans realize that factory farming and the wide use of animal products in modern society has made them so cheap and readily available that animal ingredients exist in almost everything - adhesives, film, pharmaceuticals, hygiene products, auto parts, computers, and myriad other items. The majority of refined sugar is often whitened using bone charcoal from cattle. Wine is sometimes “purified” with ground up fish bladders. Conventional fruits and vegetables are often doused with pesticides that harm and kill small animals. Organic fruits and vegetables are often fertilized with animal manure purchased from factory farms. Consequently, it is nearly impossible to be 100 percent vegan in today’s society. Thankfully, veganism is not a list of ingredients or a set of rules. Veganism is about decreasing needless suffering as effectively as possible and doing our best to help animals, the planet and our fellow humans. So it requires thought, not a checklist. Just because it is nearly impossible to eliminate all products of animal cruelty from one’s lifestyle, doesn’t mean that we can’t find plant-based alternatives for the most obvious ones. As more people adopt a 99.9% vegan lifestyle, those myriad obscure animal ingredients and processes will become more expensive, less available and increasingly replaced with cruelty-free alternatives. The key is to remember the “as far as is possible and practical” part of the veganism definition. That doesn’t mean that people who call themselves vegan get a free pass to eat cheese. It just means that if we want to do our best to help animals, the planet and our fellow humans, we should be focusing on the basics for now… whole grains, seeds, nuts, fruits and vegetables in favor of meat, dairy, and eggs. The rest will follow. The vegan response to the question of biodynamic farming is veganic farming or stock free agriculture. You can Google it. Warm regards...
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anonymous
Leah Koenig Oct 06 2009 at 4:00 PM

Your very welcome Girasole family. :) Thanks for making tasty wines.

That's a very good question Ben...I imagine, like all food decisions, it varies from person to person. It seems a shame (to me anyway) to turn up one's nose at biodynamic practices because they use animal parts in respectful, useful ways. But I'll bet there are many vegan consumers out there who would disagree.

Any vegans out there want to way in?

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anonymous
Shelley Oct 06 2009 at 2:23 PM

Hi Leah, the family at Girasole Vineyards thanks you for your great article on Vegan wines and for helping educate people on the nuances of this subject. Please know that you and your readers are always welcome to come visit us in Mendocino County, CA for a tour of the vineyards and winery!

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anonymous
Ben Oct 06 2009 at 1:41 PM

Hi there. After reading this article, I wondered what a vegan may think about the use of animal by-products in biodynamic agriculture, which is becoming ever more popular in viticulture. The use of certain animal parts is an essential aspect of producing certain compost and fertility preparations within this mode of farming. Do biodynamically raised products become off limits for a stiff-necked vegan? Thanks.

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