Many of the Wines you Know and Love are Made Using Animal Products

Yes, I know it is counter intuitive. Wine does not seem like a product that includes animal products. I am sorry to tell you that in fact some techniques used in winemaking include animal products. They might be as simple as milk or eggs to shellfish and other marine life you just never know what was used in the making of your wine. Almost all these products are used to “fine” and ‘filter” the wine. Which is basically the process by which all the fine particiles in your wine are removed. This process ensures the wine is not cloudy and is sediment free.

Animal products approved for use in wine in the USA:

• Albumen (Egg whites)
• Casein (from Milk)
• Gelatin (Animal derived collagen)
• Isinglass (derived from fish bladders)
• Milk

Other considerations.
While large wine production means that grapes must be harvest by machine smaller producers often hand harvest their grapes. This process reduces the amount of MOGs (Material Other than Grapes) that are included with the grapes at harvest. This includes insects and other small animals.

We have tons of wines on the shelf that are vegan friendly!
Because most natural winemakers are by their very nature small they usually use gentler methods to harvest their wine. That has many benefits not the least of which is little or no MOGs gathered at harvest. Philosophically natural winemakers want to let wine do its thing. They want to interfere as little as possible with the wine. That means no fining and filtration and thus no need for all the animal derived products used in those processes.

These wines are not a new trend or a reaction to the vegan movement. They are wine made in the most traditional of methds. We find these wines dynamic and lively and perfect for all occaisions. Comeby and check them out or better yet join us at A Night on the Farm this Saturday and taste them for yourself!

A Few of Our Vegan Wines