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.
Thank you for this! All alcohol in Pennsylvania is state controlled, so the state stores don't carry all the vegan-friendly brands, and some of the ones they do are prohibitively expensive. I just looked it up online, they do carry HobNob for $11.99. Reasonable. I'm totally trying the Pinot Noir. Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome! Enjoy, let me know what you think about HobNob. If you find any others, please share!
ReplyDelete