Vegan Wine 101: How to Choose the Best Bottles
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If you’re a wine lover but prefer to avoid animal ingredients as you sip, this guide is here to help you discover the most delicious and easy-to-find vegan vino. Whether you want a full-bodied red to enjoy by candlelight with a heaping bowl of pasta, or a fruity and fragrant rosé, you’ll find the perfect vegan wine for any occasion.
Before we dive in, I want to give a huge shoutout and thank you to Barnivore, whose database of 60k+ alcoholic beverages and their vegan (or non-vegan) status is an amazing resource. It was so helpful in compiling this post, and is extremely useful if you have a bottle in question.
And with that, let’s get to it. Cheers to kinder wine!
Is Wine Vegan?
You’d be forgiven for wondering how on earth something made from grapes could be non-vegan. But it’s actually what happens before the wine gets bottled rather than what actually ends up in the bottle. So, why is wine not always vegan?
The “fining agents” used in the winemaking process—which clarify the wine by removing unwanted particles—are sometimes made from animal materials. These include things like milk derivatives, egg derivatives, fish oil, gelatin, and isinglass (derived from fish parts). Yoiks.
What makes wine vegan, then, is using fining agents made from non-animal materials like clay and activated charcoal. Such ingredients enable brands to create equally tasty but cruelty-free options.
In this post, some brands have certain varietals that are vegan and others that are not. Their vegan varieties are listed out, and fully vegan brands are marked with a (V).
Best Vegan Wine Brands
1. Avaline (V)
Organic wine with no added sugars
PHOTO: FLORAH
Anything Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power create has my attention—especially when it’s a wine brand as thoughtful as Avaline. Fully vegan and organic, Avaline champions transparency in winemaking and uses no added sugars. Plus, their beautifully designed bottles make for the perfect gift or a pretty addition to your home bar.
Vegan Wines: Reds (Red, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Beaujolais, Syrah, Grenache, Lambruso), Whites (White, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling), Rosé, Sparkling White, Sparkling Rosé
Prices: $24 to $35 a bottle
2. Kind of Wild (V)
Ethical, organic wines from around the world
PHOTO: KIND OF WILD
Kind of Wild is a lovely vegan wine brand. They’re certified vegan (which is quite rare), certified organic, and part of 1% for the Planet®. Kind of Wild is also unique in that they partner with sustainable wine makers around the globe to offer their curated collection of wines. So on each product page on their site, you can read about the winemakers behind each wine and the growing region.
Vegan Wines: Whites (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Grüner Veltliner), Reds (Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Tempranillo Garnacha), Rosé, Sparkling
Prices: $26 a bottle
3. Wölffer Estate
Makers of Summer in a Bottle (and other gems)
PHOTO: WÖLFFER ESTATE
One of the wines that Wölffer Estate is best known for is their Summer in a Bottle Rosé. It’s pictured here, and is so pretty that you, like me, might buy it for drinking and then end up keeping it for a single flower vase and buying another one for drinking. Highly giftable and sippable
Vegan Wines: Reds (Amarone, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, various other unusual ones), Whites (Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, various other unusual ones), Rosé, Cider
Prices: $15 to $30 a bottle.
4. Decoy
“The everyday wine for the well-informed”
PHOTO: FLORAH
Made from California grapes, Decoy is “the everyday wine for the well-informed.” Pretty snazzy tagline, Decoy. They’ve been around since 1985, and are a special-occasion-appropriate brand at a still-reasonable price point. A very nice option to sip decadently at home or to bring to parties large and small—it’s always a hit. And it doesn’t hurt that the bottles are so gosh darn handsome!
Vegan Wines: Reds (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel), Whites (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc), Rosé, Sparkling
Prices: $20 to $45 a bottle
5. Michael David Winery (V)
A house of vegan wine brands
PHOTO: FLORAH
Michael David Winery is a unique one: they’re a house of brands, all of which are vegan! Their brands are: Freakshow, Sirah Syrah, Earthquake, Lodi, Michael David, Lodi Lineup, Misfits & Mavens, Inkblot, and 7 Deadly Zins. Some are easier to find than others—Freakshow and 7 Deadly Zins are the most readily available in the wine shops near me.
6. Natura (V)
Ethical, organic Chilean wines
PHOTO: FLORAH
Natura is among the only wine brands I’ve come across that (at least for some of their wines) actually puts “vegan-friendly” right on the label. The ease and clarity of it all. A dream. Their grapes are organic, and their wines are delish and sustainably made in Chile.
Vegan Wines: Reds (Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Merlot, Malbec, Pinot Noir), Whites (Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc), Rosé
Prices: $10 to $15 a bottle
7. JaM Cellars
Rich, smooth wines with a fun and approachable vibe
PHOTO: JAM CELLARS
JaM Cellars is a wine made for celebrating every day. You’ve probably seen their Butter Chardonnay in the wine store—it’s quite recognizable and widely available. The brand was founded by two second-generation wine makers who, after spending years crafting super-premium wines, decided to found JaM Cellars as a more approachable wine for any and every occasion.
Vegan Wines: Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Sweet White, Sparkling, Cans
Prices: $20 to $45 a bottle
8. Ménage à Trois (V)
Playful, smooth blends crafted for indulgence and enjoyment
PHOTO: FLORAH
If you, like I, wondered at the inspiration behind this naughtily named wine, it apparently came about when the founders combined three very distinct grapes to create a deliciously innovative blend. Et voilà—Ménage à Trois! They’re an affordable, fully vegan wine brand that’s easy to find in stores.
Vegan Wines: Reds (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Red Blends), Whites (Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, White Blend), Rosés, Sparkling Wines
Prices: $10 to $15 a bottle
9. Cavit
Classic Italian white wines at great prices
PHOTO: CAVIT
Cavit is America’s #1 Italian Pinot Grigio, and understandably so; it’s tasty, readily available, and you can’t beat the price for the quality. Cavit is also one of few brands that’s upfront about which of their wines are vegan. It’s listed clearly on each wine’s product page on their website. Note that their whites and sparkling wines are vegan, but their reds are not.
Vegan Wines: Whites (Moscato, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Riesling), Sparkling (Prosecco, Prosecco Rosé)
Prices: $10 to $20 a bottle
Best Vegan Wine By Type
One note on this section: classifying the best vegan wines by type turns out to be a complex task. The ‘best’ will not only depend on your preferences among the many varieties of wine, but also whether you prefer your wine light, full-bodied, fruity, earthy, smooth, sweet, dry, etc. Wine is so personal! This section will just scrape the surface and highlight some fan favorites across different categories.
Each wine type in this section is organized as follows: options from the brands featured in this post, followed by a link to WSJ Wine’s Vegan Wine collection for the relevant wine type (WSJ’s is one of the few collections that’s sizable, sortable, vegan-only, and contains reviews to help gauge the “best”), and finally a link to the Organic Wine Exchange for the relevant type in case you prefer organic vegan wines.
Best Vegan Red Wines
Among brands in this post, Kind of Wild offers a Global Reds 3-Pack consisting of a Pinot Noir, Malbec, and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Avaline has seven different reds. Decoy’s Cabernet Sauvignon is well-loved. For additional options, try:
- WSJ Wine’s Vegan Wine collection (sorted to highly-reviewed reds)
- Organic Wine Exchange’s collection of vegan red wines
Best Vegan White Wines
Kind of Wild offers a Global Whites 3-Pack that includes Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, and Gruner Veltliner. Avaline has some lovely white options. Ménage à Trois has four whites—two of which, if you care about wine scores, are 90 or above. Cavit is a high-quality option at a great price. For additional options, try:
- WSJ Wine’s Vegan Wine collection (sorted to highly-reviewed whites)
- Organic Wine Exchange’s collection of vegan white wines
Best Vegan Rosé Wines
Avaline, Kind of Wild, Natura, and Wolffer Estate (Summer in a Bottle) offer A+ vegan rosé wines. And each comes in a pretty bottle, so they’re great for gifting and get-togethers. For additional options, try:
- WSJ Wine’s Vegan Wine collection (sorted to highly-reviewed rosés)
- Organic Wine Exchange’s collection of vegan rosés
Best Sparkling Vegan Wines
First off, let it be known that Veuve Clicquot and Moet & Chandon are both vegan-friendly. Thank heavens. Kind of Wild has a “swanky sparkling wine” made near Barcelona. For additional options, try:
- WSJ Wine’s Vegan Wine collection (sorted to highly-reviewed sparkling wines)
- Organic Wine Exchange’s collection of vegan sparkling wines
Where to Buy Vegan Wine
Increasingly, at least in my little corner in Upstate New York, local wine stores are labelling their wines with things like “vegan,” “organic,” and “sustainable.” So you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you can simply pop into your local wine shop and find vegan wines.
Some vegan wines—like Kind of Wild and Avaline—are available for purchase directly online. If you find a vegan wine you’d like to try, Instacart can help you locate it at a store near you (for purchase in person or online through Instacart). For collections of vegan wines you can purchase online, try WSJ Wine, Organic Wine Exchange, Primal (natural wines), and Total Wine.
Vegan Wine FAQS
What is vegan wine?
Vegan wine is wine made without any animal products. Non-vegan wine may use various animal products and byproducts in the fining process (like gelatin, egg whites, and fish collagen). Vegan wine avoids these ingredients and uses plant-based or mineral-derived alternatives instead.
How was this vegan wine list compiled?
I began by looking up the most common wines in America to ensure that this post focused on vegan wines that are not only easy to find in your average wine store, but also a viable option that won’t empty the ol’ vegan wallet. (How’s that for a seamless plug?)
Then I used the Barnivore database. Don’t let this site’s slightly 90s-style interface fool you—it is an incredible free resource. They have 60k+ entries where they’ve compiled which wine, beer, and liquors from which companies are vegan.
Finally, I cross-referenced the most common wines in the US against the Barnivore database to put together this guide.
What’s your favorite vegan wine? Leave a comment below!
PHOTO: FLORAH
