Not all wines are created equal. It’s why they have varying prices, after all. Of course, variations in wine aren’t limited to rarity or brand. Sometimes, the difference lies in how they are made and whether they are organic or vegan.
Hey, that’s a fun fact. Not all wines are vegan.
One would be justified in thinking that all wines are vegan. After all, this famous alcoholic beverage comes from fermented grapes. However, this is not at all the case because “regular” wine undergoes fining – and this process usually involves animal-based ingredients.
Where can you get vegan wine in Abu Dhabi? To help you assess your options, read on. This article will help you discover what separates vegan wines from non-vegan wines. You’ll also learn about the wine fining process.
What Is Vegan Wine?
Wines are made from fermented grapes. Winemakers select bunches of the fruit and add yeast to trigger the fermentation process. However, wines can only be considered vegan if the winemaker makes them without animal or animal-based ingredients – and that’s just the most basic definition of the term.
Not all wines are vegan because wines typically undergo a unique clarification or filtration process before they are bottled. In this step, most wineries use non-vegan or non-vegetarian ingredients.
Why Not All Wine Is Vegan
Grapes don’t become wine overnight. They need to be fermented and processed to achieve the desired body, flavor, and finish.
Consequently, wines contain more than grapes. In fact, your favorite bottle of wine could have a lot more ingredients you probably didn’t realize were in there. These include:
- Water (it’s not ideal, but some wines are diluted with water to achieve a particular alcohol level)
- Powdered tannins
- Oak chips, staves, or powders
- Sulfur dioxide
- Calcium carbonate
What Is Fining?
The most basic reason not all wines can be considered vegan is the process known as “fining.” This is a method used not only in winemaking but also in producing beer and other liquors.
You see, young wine (one that hasn’t been aged) tends to come with small sediments and particulates – like tannins, tartrates, polysaccharides, phenolics, and some proteins – that make it look hazy. As the wine ages, these particles naturally go away.
However, that would take years without help. To hasten the process and ensure wine clarity, winemakers may apply fining agents.
Fining agents are added at or near the end of wine processing, removing the organic compounds in the wine that are causing cloudiness and haziness. This improves the wine’s clarity. It may also adjust its aroma and/or flavor.
Top 4 Animal-Based Fining Agents Used in Winemaking
Winemakers can use various ingredients when fining wine. However, the most common animal-based ones – those that will render wine non-vegan – are the following:
- Gelatin
Gelatin comes from boiling parts of cattle. It reduces the bitterness, haziness, browning, and astringency of white wines.
Considered the most aggressive fining substance, gelatin is also used by winemakers in some reds to lower their astringency and bitterness, and to prevent loss of color. However, winemakers do this ever so carefully so as not to remove too much of the color and flavor note subtleties.
- Isinglass
This collagen protein taken from bladders, skin, or other fish tissues can clarify white wines without changing their level of astringency. It also removes harsh flavors, bringing out the fruity, more delicate notes of the wine.
- Albumin
Taken from egg whites, albumin removes the phenolic compounds in red wines, reducing their astringency. Added prior to bottling, it can also leave wine softer and more supple.
- Casein
Winemakers use this animal milk protein in fining sherries and white wine. It reduces the phenolic compounds that cause browning and bitterness. It is a softer clarifying agent than isinglass or gelatin.
How to Spot Certified Vegan Wines
Vegan wines are not as easy to spot as other vegan or vegetarian products. This is because there’s no rule mandating such labels in wines. Wine labeling rules also do not require winemakers to include a list of their ingredients, so you can’t be sure what’s in your drink with no need to do some careful research.
If you want to drink only vegan wines, use the following tips to spot vegan wines:
- Check the fining ingredients.
Go on to the winemaker’s website and other sources – maybe even ask a winemaker outright – about their fining ingredients. Avoid wines that have been clarified using animal-based fining substances. Furthermore, look for wines clarified using vegan fining options, including:
- Carbon: Carbon (in the form of activated charcoal) can reduce brown and pink tones in white wines and excess color in reds. It can also get rid of off-flavors.
- Bentonite clay: Bentonite clay is the most common vegan fining agent. It absorbs particulates and proteins in wine, especially whites.
- Kaolin clay: Kaolin clay is less common than bentonite clay. It is primarily used in fining red wines.
- Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone (PVPP): Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone is a synthetic polymer used to clarify and reduce astringency in white wine. It may also be used to brighten the color and lessen the bitterness of reds.
- Pay attention to the label.
Just because the typical wine label doesn’t include an ingredients list or the word “vegan,” this doesn’t mean you cannot use wine labels to spot vegan options. The truth is, labels may have some information you can use to determine whether a wine is vegan or not.
For example, some brands add “Veg” or “V” on the label. Some use some other vegan symbols.
- Select natural, unfined wines
Since it’s animal-based fining substances that typically make wines non-vegan, it’s a good idea to stick to wines that haven’t undergone clarification through a fining agent. This rule would automatically exclude non-vegan wines from your options.
Of course, knowing which wines are unfined can also be tricky. It’s not usually indicated on the label. Just remember, though, that if you ever see that on a wine bottle, chances are high that wine is vegan-friendly.
Some wine companies also add “natural,” biodynamic,” and “organic” on their wine labels. Although these don’t guarantee that the drink is vegan, they do increase its likelihood being so because natural wines usually don’t undergo fining.
- Ask a trustworthy wine shop.
You can always ask a trustworthy wine shop which wines are vegan. You can also ask your favorite restaurant and bars on Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, and other happening places in Abu Dhabi for their vegan wine recommendations.
Go Vegan
Choose your bottles of wine carefully to adhere to your vegan lifestyle and diet. Use this article as your guide to finding vegan-friendly wines.