Vegan wine – that often causes heads to shake. Because most drinks are inherently vegan, aren’t they? Unfortunately that’s not true. We explain what makes vegan wine and which animal substances are contained in many wines.

Vegan wine: free from animal additives

When growing the grapes in the vineyard, there is still no difference between vegan and non-vegan wine. There are usually no animal substances to be found in the finished product either. In the production of wine, however, turbidity is often found or undesirable flavors, colors or smells appear. Then the wine is “clarified” or “fined”. Various animal proteins have been used in the production process for centuries:

Casein: Casein is made from fresh milk. It combines with the cloudy substances and settles on the bottom of the barrel. The clear wine is then skimmed off so that there is almost no protein or turbidity left in the wine.
Albumin: Albumin is found in egg yolk. It reduces the tannin content and makes the wine milder. After the addition, fine grains form in the wine, which are filtered out. This so-called “egg white fining” is mainly used for red wine.
Gelatin: Gelatin is usually made from pork bones. The background: Gelatine also combines with the cloudy substances and settles on the bottom of the barrel. The wine is then drawn off.
Isinglass: An isinglass is the dried swim bladder of fish. Just like gelatine, it binds small particles such as turbidity in the wine. The isinglass sinks to the bottom with the particles and the clear wine is skimmed off.
Lysozyme: Lysozyme is an enzyme derived from protein. In addition to the dairy industry, it is also used in the wine industry. It prevents faulty, spontaneous acid degradation from occurring

There are numerous vegan solutions for wine

In vegan wine production, wine is clarified with vegetable proteins or mineral substances instead of animal proteins.

Vegetable protein (from peas, beans, potato starch): Just like animal proteins, they bind the turbidity in the wine and make it clearer.
Bentonite: Bentonite is obtained from volcanic ash or the weathering of similar deposits. It can be used in the same way as proteins and is considered the safest remedy for clouding.
Activated charcoal: Activated charcoal also helps against bad taste, odor irritation or discoloration.
Sedimentation: If wine or must is left to stand, particles will settle out on their own. You are then left with careful skimming. This natural process is considered to be quality-enhancing and particularly gentle – but also very time-consuming.