Difference between Vegan, Vegetarian & Natural wines

I always get the question, why isn't wine vegetarian, isn't it just made out of grapes?! Generally mass-produced supermarket-style wines use some sort of animal products as a fining agent which is what creates the crystal clear clarity in the wines. They use fish bladder or gelatine in the process, but we're starting to see more 'Vegetarian' stickers on our bottles. This means that they will have used something like milk protein or egg whites. So keep those eyes peeled for the vegetarian labels!

Not all wines are vegan either, say for example it says vegetarian on the bottle, that would mean that they've used a dairy-based animal product as a fining agent, as explained above. But if it's a 'Vegan' wine, they've used no animal-based products, and instead used other fining agents such as bentonite (clay-based) or pea protein to clarify it. Alternatively, the winemaker may have let the sediments settle naturally, so it might be slightly hazy and not so crystal clear. So look out for "No fining or filtering' on the label, this will guarantee a vegan wine, a slightly longer process to naturally let the wine gain clarity.

Now let me clarify what a Natural wine is! I would say Natural wines are the purest of the pure, the truest expression of the local terroir. Aka 'raw', 'naked' or 'low intervention' wines; They are organically farmed, minimal intervention wines with minimal Sulphites. They have no added herbicides, pesticides, or chemicals on the vineyard. And the yeast is naturally occurring, so the fermentation is all 'Natural'. Then in the winery, no sugar, acid, or extra yeast is added. Natural winemakers add only a tiny amount of Sulphites when bottling for preservation. Conventional winemakers use up to 10 times the amount of natural winemakers.

So really it's mostly about the fining agents used which distinguish the wine from being regular, vegetarian, vegan, and natural. Here's a quick summary;

Regular - Isinglass (fish bladders), gelatine, etc

Vegetarian - Milk protein, egg whites, etc

Vegan - Bentonite (clay-based), pea protein, etc

Natural - Unfined and unfiltered

A few funky fun wine recommendations for Natural & Vegan wines...

Testalonga wines are really cool bottles from Swartland South Africa. My current fave is their 'I am a ninja' Pet Nat. It's a Chenin Blanc, and from everything we've learned above, I'm sure you can guess that the clarity isn't crystal clear. It comes from really rocky soil which produces a high minerality, you can smell and taste earthy & creamy notes, but also soak up the sea salt and green fruits - it's delicious, give it a try!

Solara wines, a winery in Romania owned by couple Bristolian Philip Cox and his Romanian wife Elvira. I had their Orange wine as one of my wedding wines. It has the freshness of a white wine with the complexity of a red wine. It's a bit of a marmite but I had many guests LOVE the stuff and ordered more of this fruity but fresh, marmalade treat.

A smooth and juicy wine that you would never ever expect to be "natural" is Metic it's a Carménère from Chile which can be enjoyed with or without food. It's smoky and chocolatey but with a bright freshness to sip in the sunshine!

Want to try some with me!? I am hosting tastings in Theydon Bois on the central line most months! There's so much more to learn about Natural Wines, come join us!

There are loads of accessible and affordable, cool tasty vegan, vegetarian & natural wines out there! If you want any help or more recommendations, pop a question or message in the comments below, or reach out on my insta and I'll get back to you asap!

Thanks for reading Wine Time Tips!

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