Jen's Guide to Cheap Vegan Wine

What the...???
Where?
Reviews
[Red / White / Champagne]

This page is constantly being updated...research in progress!

It shocks most people when I say I can't drink 'regular' wine because it's not vegan, or even vegetarian - it shocked me too when I first discovered this. Apparently animal products such as crushed bones, fish scales, gelatin, egg white and dairy products are used in the clarification ('fining') during the wine-making process. Vegan wines are made with non-animal clarifiers such as clay.

For people who think I'm being just too picky by not drinking the animal-clarified wine, I just want to say that since it is so easy to get vegan wine, or easy enough for me to drink something else, it is not pickiness - it's ethics. Strange as it may seem, I feel strongly that animals should not be exploited, tortured and/or mutilated to make wine.

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Animal rights and vegetarian groups with shops are a wonderful source of vegan wines, champagnes etc (see list below). As vegan wines are generally organic, organic or health food stores are also a good place to look for them (in the UK that is - in Canada you're unfortunately stuck with the LCBO). Even though labelling something 'organic' is a licence to charge exorbitant prices for it, happily there are still lots of vegan, organic wines that are still reasonably priced. Unfortunately not the bargain-basement prices of some 'regular' wine, but pretty cheap nonetheless.

Some online shops in the UK to get vegan wine, champagne, etc are:

• Viva, an excellent animal rights resource and shop, 100% vegan (they have the cheapest offer I've ever seen on cases of 12 bottles)
• Animal Aid, an online store selling vegan wine and champagne, 100% vegan
• Vintage Roots, an organic wine shop, offers lots and lots of choice in all price ranges for vegan alcoholics (look for the VG symbol) - wines, beers, ciders etc; free catalogue on request
• Organic Delivery, an online organic shop
• Ecozone, an environmental shop, has some vegan alcohol

Some shops in the UK that sell vegan wines are:

• Allara Wholefoods, in Bloomsbury, London
• Planet Organic, in central London (Bloomsbury and Bayswater)
• there's a really good shop in Holland Park, but I forget the name (tbc)

You can also find some vegan wines in shops like Budgens and regular wine shops, but you pretty much have to know exactly what you're looking for, and then it's just luck if you find it. Always look in the 'organic' section first.

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Reviews and additional wines will be added below as they become available. Feel free to email me any of your own reviews of any vegan alcohol!

Cabernet Sauvignon

approx �5.30 (from Animal Aid)

Cabernet Sauvignon Domaine St Michel VDP d�Oc

approx �4.50 (from Viva)

Can Vendrell de la Codina

(Review to come.)

Can Vendrell; Catalunya, Spain

13%, 750ml, approx �5 (from Planet Organic)

Corbieres

approx �5.30 (from Animal Aid)

French Organic Red Wine * * *

An extremely pleasant wine, eminently sippable - which is a quality that I find very rare in wines, so this is quite a compliment from me! The label considerately recommends vegetarian food accompaniments, and I can confirm that the wine went really well with my veggie sushi. Unfortuanately this wine didn't get me very drunk, though, which was a bit disappointing - but it did make me extremely talkative, and caused me to jump around my flat singing along to Chumbawumba and Britney Spears. Actually maybe I was drunker than I thought! The next morning I was left with no hangover to speak of, thank god. This was especially appreciated after being immobilised the entire day before until 6pm with a hangover-from-hell.

Jacques Frelin Vignobles; France

11.5%, 750ml, �3.99 (from Budgens)

Merlot

approx �5.30 (from Animal Aid)

Organic Domaine de Clairac Joubio Rouge VDP de l�Herault

approx �4.50 (from Viva)

Syrah-Malbec

approx �5.30 (from Animal Aid)

Volcanic Hills Dry Red Kekfrankos

approx �4.50 (from Viva)

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Bonne Terre

(Review to come.)

approx �8 (from Planet Organic)

Chardonnay

approx �5.30 (from Animal Aid)

Chardonnay Domaine St Michel VDP d�Oc

approx �4.50 (from Viva)

Domaine de Petit Roubie

approx �5.30 (from Animal Aid)

Organic Blanco Spanish Dry White

(Review to come.)

Coop Jesus Del Perdon; Manzinares, Spain

12%, 750ml, �3.99 (from Planet Organic)

Organic Domaine de Clairac Joubio Blanc VDP de l�Herault

approx �4.50 (from Viva)

Sauvignon Blanc

approx �5.30 (from Animal Aid)

Volcanic Hills Dry White Harslevelu

approx �4.50 (from Viva)

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Carte d'Or Brut

Jose Ardinat

approx �15.50 each (�186/case of 12 from Animal Aid)

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