Whether you’re in a relationship or not, Valentine’s Day is the perfect day to get tipsy with the ones you love, socializing over a glass of wine. Don’t take one sip, though, without making sure your wine label upholds the same considerations for the environment that you do.
You may be shocked to learn that wine, which is made from grapes, has animal-based ingredients in it. Many modern wines use animal products like egg whites, gelatin, issinglass (fish gelatin) and chitosan (a sugar from shellfish) in the fining stage, which removes sediment.
Thankfully, there are many vegan alternatives that replace these fining agents with earth-based materials like bentonite or activated charcoal. It can be difficult to tell from the wine label how the wine was made. A great website to verify a vegan-friendly wine purchase is Barnivore. It allows you to search for your wine in an extensive database of confirmed vegan wines.
We came up with a handy list of 6 cruelty-free wine brands. If you shop for wines with these labels on Valentine’s Day, you’ll can guarantee a vegan-friendly holiday. Isn’t that romantic?
1. Layer Cake
Layer Cake sources its grapes from four different countries: South Australia, Italy, Argentina and Napa Valley in the US. Working closely with its farmers, these regions each tell a different story. Layer Cake uses care in its winemaking process to ensure a complex, layered flavor. The fermentation and French Oak aging processes preserve the natural flavor hues derived from the regional soils of the grapes. The brand sells a total of nine wines including Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Shiraz, “Sea of Stones” (red blend), “Primitivo” (Zinfandel), Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Rosé.
Natura wines use organically-grown grapes and processes and they are naturally gluten free. The label prides itself on its earth-friendly grape cultivation process. It sources grapes from various estates across the fertile growing conditions in Chile. Offering seven different wines, Natura is a safe bet if you care about the environment. Its wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Pinot Noir, Carmenere, Sauvignon Blanc, and Chardonnay.
3. Fat Cat Cellars, Napa, California
You may have seen the piano-playing cat of this label staring at you from the shelf. This brand has wines so swiggable, you’ll want to buy a few bottles to have on reserve. Of its six different wines, the Moscato is particularly popular with its crisp and sweet notes of citrus and vanilla that don’t cling to the palette. Its other wines include Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Grigio.
4. Our Daily Wines, California
This label takes pride in its vegan status by offering handcrafted organic screw-top bottles of wine. That’s right, no cork or plastic gets wasted. Purity is their modus operandi, so no sulfites or any other added preservatives taint the wholesome nectar of these wines. Each wine is also USDA Certified Organic. The label offers Cabernet Sauvignon, Red blend, Zinfandel, Chardonnay, and Rosé.
5. Red Truck and Green Truck Wines, Central Coast, California
Red Truck is a popular California label that introduced its CCOF Certified Organic line of Green Truck wines as an offshoot. Both labels offer a wide variety of fully vegan wine selections. With reasonable prices and dependable flavor, these wines are an excellent vegan go-to option. Red Truck Wines include Merlot, Old Vine Zinfandel, Pinot Noir, Red Wine, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Rosé. The Green Truck label offers Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc.
6. Bonny Doon Vineyard, Davenport, California
This winemaking label adheres to biodynamic winemaking principles. If you haven’t explored this unique, almost ritualistic process of connecting winemaking to seasonal lunar and solar cycles and using natural fertilization, you should. It has fascinating holistic implications for incorporating biodiversity into grape cultivation. That said, Bonny Doon offers a thrilling array of its magnificent wines and it also offers other unique perks like extensive wine labelling and a unique company culture.
In addition to these, you should also check out these other worthy all-vegan labels:
Do you have any suggestions on your favorite vegan wines? Tell us in the comments!
Sources:
https://www.thekitchn.com/as-it-is-vegan-week-136676
https://www.ourdailywines.com/
https://www.bonnydoonvineyard.com/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/tmullen/2016/10/26/why-biodynamic-wine-is-the-future/#5bcd12b77141
