Vegetarian or Veggie read carefully the label!

How to be sure, when you are vegetarian or vegan to taste a vegetarian wine or vegan wine?

Well, it is the agent used during the fining process which determines the suitability of wine for vegetarians or vegans. Fining is a clarification process, clarifying the wine makes it bright and sparkly. Gravity would naturally do on its own, but fining speeds it up a little. In some cases if the wine is in bad condition fining can help to improve the wine, removing hazes and altering flavour. Fining works by electrostatic attraction – if the element in the wine that needs to be removed has a negative charge, then a fining agent with a positive charge will be added. The fining agent thud acts as a magnet, and collects the unwanted matter in the wine, which sinks to the bottom of the tank. Then the clear wine is racked or decanted off the sediment into a clean tank. 

The fining agents or finings include Gelatin, Isinglass, Bentonite, PVPP, Albumin, Casein, Chitosan and Carbon. 

• Gelatin is derived from animal bones, tolerated neither by vegetarians nor vegans. Mainly used in red wine.

• Isinglass: A very pure protein obtained from the bladders of various unfortunate fishes including the sturgeon. Used in red and whites, tolerated neither by vegetarians or vegans. 
Manufactured isinglass is not allowed for organic farming. Used in red and white wine.
• Albumin or White egg is tolerated by vegetarians. This is often used to soften bitterness (usually in red wine) and is a protein soluble in water. Up to five fresh egg whites are used per 225L cask of wine. If albumin (egg whites) is used, then the eggs would have to come from Organic or Biodynamic (and intrinsically free range) chickens.

• Chitosan comes from the shells of shellfish and crustaceans. It is tolerated by neither vegetarians not vegans.

• Bentonite is used to stop white wines turning into cloudy in warm weather. It is tolerated by vegetarians and vegan.
• PVPP (Polyvinylpolypyrrolidone) is an oenological product which is a yellowish white powder, insoluble in water, organic solvents and aqueous alcohol. PVPP is used in red wine to fixe anthocyanin. It leaves no residue in the wine. 

• Casein is used to soften bitterness and is the main protein of milk. Casein is often used in white wine to remove off colours. It is tolerated by vegetarians.

• Carbon is used to strip off flavours from rotten grapes when pressed. It is tolerated by vegetarians and vegans. 

Who doesn’t agree with the opinion of many of organic and biodynamic growers which is that the more a wine is interfered with, the less it expresses its true character.

Ben works for Festival Wines, a wine shop selling organic wines, biodynamic wines, vegetarian wines, vegan wines and low sulphur wines. Festival Wines is an independent wine merchant dedicated to Artisan and fine wines. This is the only exclusively Organic wine and Biodynamic Wine shop in the South of England.