Wine...Whine...Why...can't they all be vegan?

I love wine.  I love the way it tastes, I love the way it smells & pairs with food.  Definitely a guilty pleasure.  One of the hardest things for me to give up when I embraced a vegan lifestyle, was some of my favorite brands, when I discovered that the traditional process of making wine is not vegan friendly.  Boo.
If you weren't aware, often the filtration process involves the use of fish intestines, called isinglass, therefore, rendering the product not vegan.  There are other animal products used in some processes, that you can google for a full explanation.
Today I was asked what my favorite vegan wines were.  I'll tell you, I'm not a wine expert, but as an enthusiast, I haven't found many to be that good.  I don't know if it has to do with the process, or sustainably farmed soil, or what, that changes the flavor.  But many are just...yuck.  It's sad for me and I'm not always perfect about it, when I really want a glass of Chardonnay and I'm out & about.  That said, here is the list I gave my friend.  They are all under $20 and I find completely drinkable.
In addition, I've found the web site www.barnivore.com a great resource to find vegan friendly alcohol.  How they taste, is up to you!  Enjoy!
My fave is "HobNob" from France. All are vegan.
- The Pinot Noir (red) is actually really good! It's a good, rich balance of dry & fruit, smooth and a little spicy.
I also like a brand from Argentina called "Innovacion", all sustainably grown grapes & vegan friendly processes:
- Pinot Grigio (white, on the dry side, but a little fruity & floral. Very light tasting)
- Tempranillo/Malbec blend (red, rich & on the fruity side)
- Cabernet/Shiraz blend (red, rich & a bit drier)
Also:
"Frey" brand are all vegan.
- The "white table wine" is OK (light & dry).
"Kendall Jackson"
- Chardonnay is good (white - oakey, robust).
- The reds are not vegan
If you have a favorite vegan wine or if you find my information to be inaccurate, please let me know!
Please forgive the explanations, I'm not an expert on terms and it's just my opinion. 

Urban Decay - Say it isn't So!!

 Urban Decay is a great line of cosmetics that do not test on animals and some of their products are vegan. I use them, myself. They recently decided not to sell in China because of customer outcry against the mandatory

animal testing policies there. I found that so impressive and wanted to endorse them more!  Now,  UD have sold to L'Oreal, one of the biggest and most horrific users of animal testing!  So now, even though UD may continue to not test on animals, by purchasing their products we would be financially contributing to a larger corporation that does...and therefore those purchases endorse this horrific practice. I guess money talks. How sad. 

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New Stuff

Hey All!  Sooooo... yup, I'm blogging.  It will be about different stuff.  Vegan stuff & fashion stuff, of course.  I'll have tips & tricks to help you look & feel your best.  Thoughts on cruelty free stuff, stuff that I love, stuff that pisses me off and other, well, stuff.
Stay tuned and I hope you enjoy my stuff.