Vegetarian wine

There’s no particular wine style, grape or region that’s vegetarian. Some Malbecs, for example, may be vegetarian, while some may not be. The same applies to all your favourite wine styles – whether you’re a fan of Prosecco, fine Bordeaux or any other wine. 

This is because it all comes down to how the individual wine is made. So, your best bet is to look for a wine that is labelled as vegetarian or has the vegetarian symbol. On our website you can find out by looking in the information section of the wine description and checking to see if there is a vegan or vegetarian symbol.

Or you can simply browse through the wines on this page.

One way to check if a wine is vegetarian is to look at the ingredients. Egg whites, gelatin and or isinglass (a fining agent made from fish bladder extract) are examples of animal products you may find in wine. But there is an easier way. Look at the Wine Info section on any of our wines online. If you see a vegetarian symbol (a ‘V’ inside a circle) it’s vegetarian. And of course, if you see a vegan symbol (‘Ve’ inside a circle) you’ll know its vegetarian too.  

Or you can simply browse through the wines on this page. You can filter by red, white, sparkling and more to help you find what you want more quickly.

As you probably know, the key ingredients in wine are grapes, yeast and er … that’s it. So, what makes a wine not vegetarian? Well, while it’s true that wine is basically fermented grape juice, there are other ingredients used in the winemaking process. These might include yeast nutrients (to help the yeast get started) and fining agents (to help clear the wine).

It’s the fining agents that are most likely exclude the wine from the vegetarian menu. These can include:

• Isinglass (made from fish – not vegetarian).
• Gelatine (made from cows – not vegetarian).
• Egg whites (vegetarian but not vegan).
• Casein (made from milk – vegetarian but not vegan).
• Bentonite (fine clay powder – vegetarian).

If either of the first two ingredients are used, the wine is not vegetarian. If any of the first four are used, the wine is not vegan.

Prosecco is the UK’s most popular fizz – and goes down a treat at parties. That’s probably the reason our Wine Guides are aften asked whether Prosecco is vegetarian. The answer is … some are, some aren’t. The best way to tell is to check the Wine Info on your favourite fizz in one of our wine product pages. If you see a vegetarian symbol (a ‘V’ inside a circle) it’s vegetarian. And of course, if you see a vegan symbol (‘Ve’ inside a circle) you’ll know it’s vegetarian too. Or you could browse this page and filter by ‘sparkling wine.’ Any wine on this list is vegetarian or vegan.

There’s no rule that says you should serve vegetarian wines with vegetarian food – you can just follow the usual guidelines. We have a whole section of food and wine pairings on our blog site. But if you are looking for vegetarian food pairings, here are a few suggestions.

• Light and medium reds (Chianti, Beaujolais) – try with pizza or pasta and pesto.
• Rich reds (Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon) – try with richer tomato-based pasta dishes like veggie lasagne, or a spinach and cheese tart.
• Aromatic reds (Pinot Noir, Touriga Nacional) –mushroom pasta or risotto. 
• Crisp whites (Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio) – lighter vegetable dishes such as a Greek salad or green bean risotto.
• Aromatic whites (Viognier, Gewurztraminer) – spicy Asian food such as Thai curry.
• Rich whites (Chenin Blanc, Chardonnay) – creamy sauced vegetarian dishes such as a cheesy vegetable bake.