Vegetarian Wine and Vegan Wine

~ Vegetarian 101 - Part 3 ~
The Wine Cellar


Wine

You might ask what is vegan wine or vegetarian wine or why should we drink vegan wine? To start, vegan wine is made without using animal-derived ingredients. Vegetarian wine is made using egg whites during the filtration process, not acceptable as a "vegan" wine. The majority of commercial wines are made using animal-derived ingredients. These ingredients are unsuitable for consumption by those who have dedicated themselves to a diet that excludes any animal-derived products or by-products even though these ingredients are filtered out of the wine before it is bottled.

Just to give you a brief explanation, the wine-making process involves a filtration process to remove solid impurities such as grape skins, stems or pips, and so on. This is the part of the process in which the winemakers use animal-derived ingredients to remove those impurities. This filtration process produces a wine that is more presentable. Today, wine producers are using non-animal derived products to filter the wine to achieve a high quality wine suitable for vegans or vegetarians to enjoy and compliment their diets.

Ideally, if you can find a wine that has also not used added sulfites you will benefit even more. Sulfites occur naturally in all wines to some extent. Additional sulfites are commonly introduced to arrest fermentation at a desired time, and may also be added to wine as a preservative to prevent spoilage and oxidation at several stages of the winemaking process.

In the United States, wines bottled after mid-1987 must have a label stating that they contain sulfites if they contain more than 10 parts per million. The reason we said that you will benefit even more if you choose a wine with no added sulfites is because sulfites are actually one of the food ingredients or food additives that are listed among the top nine food allergens.

The reaction to sulfites, while not a true allergic reaction (it is considered a "sensitivity" instead) may include headache, difficulty breathing, rash or hives, sneezing and constriction or swelling of the throat. So be careful. Try to find a wine with no added sulfites. Typically, the wines that contain the most sulfites are white and sweet (dessert) wines versus red wines. However, even many good whites and sweet wines are produced without added sulfites.

And of course, pairing the right wine with the food you are eating or serving is of utmost importance. The right pairing will enhance the flavor of the food and be a wonderful compliment to the meal.

Our friends at Taste-Wine-And-Enjoy have vegetarian wine pairing tips that will assist you with choosing the perfect wine whether it is to give as a gift or compliment your meal.

Enjoy! And once more - bon appetite!


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