Vegan Malbec?

Tilikum17

Can anyone recommend a nice red wine?

_Brian

Why are all wines not considered vegan ?

Flibble

No, lots of wines aren't vegan, they use isinglass in the manufacturing process and probably other things too, idk.

Marks & Spencer always have vegan wine marked as such and are usually quite nice, so when you're not in the mood to be standing there googling wines for 20 mins it's handy.

I'm slowly working my way through the Dona Paula bottles. There's one with a black label that's about 12e in SuperValu I think that I think is really nice. It's a lovely fruity red. They've a couple of malbecs in their range but I'm not sure if I've tried them, can't remember.

davidjtaylor

Whatever, also try to buy wine stoppered with cork - it supports jobs in a “sustainable” industry. Other stoppers and caps could contain BPA.

148multi

_Brian wrote: »

Why are all wines not considered vegan ?

Did I read that some wines contain milk?

Tilikum17

Flibble wrote: »

No, lots of wines aren't vegan, they use isinglass in the manufacturing process and probably other things too, idk.

Marks & Spencer always have vegan wine marked as such and are usually quite nice, so when you're not in the mood to be standing there googling wines for 20 mins it's handy.

I'm slowly working my way through the Dona Paula bottles. There's one with a black label that's about 12e in SuperValu I think that I think is really nice. It's a lovely fruity red. They've a couple of malbecs in their range but I'm not sure if I've tried them, can't remember.

Ok thanks a lot.

Hoboo

148multi wrote: »

Did I read that some wines contain milk?

Casein, protein from milk, is used for fining, as is gelatine or fish gut protein (isinglass). Isinglass is used in most branded lager, Heineken etc. Helps to speed up the production process by removing insoluable particles.

Didn't know they did the same for wine. Just found this, interesting article.

https://pwrwines.com/vegan-vegetarian-fining-filtration/

Alias G

O'Brien's website can be filtered (pardon the pun) for vegan wines. Free delivery on orders over €60 too.

davidjtaylor

This site might help, though it tells you nothing about the drinkability.

_Brian

Guy at work got me two bottles of vegan wine for Christmas, can’t remember the brand but it was shocking, like tue old blue nun from years ago.
I can recommend not them, but can’t remem the brand. I’ll look when I’m back home.

Tilikum17

Hoboo wrote: »

Casein, protein from milk, is used for fining, as is gelatine or fish gut protein (isinglass). Isinglass is used in most branded lager, Heineken etc. Helps to speed up the production process by removing insoluable particles.

Didn't know they did the same for wine. Just found this, interesting article.

https://pwrwines.com/vegan-vegetarian-fining-filtration/

‘There are no animal products used in the beer as ingredients, nor are they used in the filtration process. Heineken can be considered Vegan friendly." ... There are no animal products used in the beer as ingredients, nor are they used in the filtration process. Heineken can be considered Vegan friendly’

??

L1011

The vast majority of beers no longer use isinglass. Coors Light in Ireland is a notable exception. Most producers have stopped in the past 5 years or so. Diageo did it a year or two ago.

It's not particularly cheap + growing Vegan market

_Brian

_Brian wrote: »

Guy at work got me two bottles of vegan wine for Christmas, can’t remember the brand but it was shocking, like tue old blue nun from years ago.
I can recommend not them, but can’t remem the brand. I’ll look when I’m back home.

RAW is tue brand.

Both red and white just shocking rubbish. White sent down the sink, red went into lasagna, just not to feel like it was wasted.

dudara

As well as isinglass, egg white can also be used as a fining agent (just like it would be used to clarify a consommé).

However, wine production techniques have moved on a lot and vegan wines are definitely becoming more standard. In fact, I’d say it’s very standard these days, but just not labelled as vegan.

Wines Direct have a list of vegan wines in their portfolio here https://winesdirect.ie/start-shopping/buy-vegan-wines-online

Also, an article from wine writer John Wilson with some tips https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/drink/vegan-and-vegetarian-wine-does-it-really-matter-to-the-wine-consumer-1.3428434

limnam

_Brian wrote: »

RAW is tue brand.

Both red and white just shocking rubbish. White sent down the sink, red went into lasagna, just not to feel like it was wasted.

I'd say the fact they were vegan had little to do with them been rubbish.

_Brian

limnam wrote: »

I'd say the fact they were vegan had little to do with them been rubbish.

I agree but be no point in this context talking about anything else.

davidjtaylor

limnam wrote: »

I'd say the fact they were vegan had little to do with them been rubbish.

Agreed.

Same with Dunnes’ organic produce. It’s the shíte that the producers can’t sell. Gives organic an unwarranted bad name, like RAW wine does for veganism.

gozunda

Dont know if its veg*n otherwise but aldi are doing half bottles of Malbec for 3.99 which are very good indeed imo ...

Slaphead07

If you want vegan wines look for wines that haven't been filtered. Some producers simply don't filter their wine in order to give a fuller flavour and longer finish. Vegan doesn't mean organic and vice versa, Biodynamic wines are rarely vegan as there are a few (often undocumented) practices in the production of biodynamic wines that involve burying compost in cow horns and other oddities. Seriously.
Filtering of wines can involve fish finings, milk products and eggs so if you want vegan, look for unfiltered. Generally more interesting wines anyway.

Markcheese

The weird biodynamic stuff (cow horn thing) is to do with growing the vines, wouldn't have thought it would affect its vegan status, (anymore than if the farmer keeps his pants up with a leather belt).

Slaphead07

Markcheese wrote: »

The weird biodynamic stuff (cow horn thing) is to do with growing the vines, wouldn't have thought it would affect its vegan status, (anymore than if the farmer keeps his pants up with a leather belt).

That's entirely up the vegan. I'm just sayin'

If you take terroir seriously (and I do) then the soil is precisely what makes up the vine.

davidjtaylor

I had some Toscar Tempranillo (organic, vegan, Spain) from Next Door last year. There were two types - one ‘with sulphites’, the other ‘no sulphur added’. I bought one of each.

The one with no sulphur added, in a blind test, was better - a little rougher perhaps but definitely more drinkable, more...interesting.

What ‘no sulphur added’ apparently means none is used at bottling. There could easily be some used earlier in the process.

Just a little anecdote.

Markcheese

Slaphead07 wrote: »

That's entirely up the vegan. I'm just sayin'

If you take terroir seriously (and I do) then the soil is precisely what makes up the vine.

Fair enough, I've no problem in agreeing with you about the soil, and it's not just wine..

Slaphead07

Sulphites are really not an issue for the vast majority of people. Don't get hung up on it.

Tar.Aldarion

http://www.barnivore.com/ can be used to check if a drink is vegan.

If anybody is looking for a nice Riesling, Weingut Max Ferd Richter make amazing ones. https://www.martinsofflicence.ie/wine/germany/weingut-mx-ferd-richter-veldenzer-elisenberg-riesling-sp-tlese-/

Slaphead07

Tar.Aldarion wrote: »

http://www.barnivore.com/ can be used to check if a drink is vegan.

That's far from comprehensive. A useful guide but many omissions.

Tar.Aldarion

Slaphead07 wrote: »

That's far from comprehensive. A useful guide but many omissions.

Yeah it's user submitted so it will always be like that

davidjtaylor

Slaphead07 wrote: »

That's far from comprehensive. A useful guide but many omissions.

Sadly true.

davidjtaylor

Slaphead07 wrote: »

Sulphites are really not an issue for the vast majority of people. Don't get hung up on it.

Fair enough - but if using produces an inferior product, maybe we should think about it. And personally speaking, I want to know exactly what I’m putting in my body.

Slaphead07

davidjtaylor wrote: »

Fair enough - but if using produces an inferior product...

It really doesn't. If you want to only ever drink very very young wines then maybe sulphites could be avoided. No real reason to though.
It occurs naturally, more sulphites in a bag of dried fruit or, God help us, french fries. EU levels are quite low, US quite a bit higher and the hysteria tends to come from the US.
The anti suphite thinking actually stemmed from an anti booze lobby - or at least that's one valid theory. I forget the name of the southern states governor who pushed it.

davidjtaylor

Tilikum17

Here's a vegan organic malbec (with no mention of sulphites), bought by me from Meanwell in Ennis. They welcome feedback and I've told them my thoughts about this one.

The images show both front and back labels. I wasn't keen on it TBH; a bit rough. However, it could have been the food I ate it with. On a later tasting, without food, it seemed fine, a bit smoother.

The chemistry of wine is complex and so just the fact of having the bottle opened for a day or so might have altered it. Or it could be changing chemistry in the mouth, who knows?

Nonetheless, I shan't be buying that one again.

davidjtaylor

However, another wine I shall definitely buy again is the one attached. A religious person might say it's like drinking angels' blood.:D

Slaphead07

davidjtaylor wrote: »

I wasn't keen on it TBH; a bit rough....
The chemistry of wine is complex and so just the fact of having the bottle opened for a day or so might have altered it.

Having a wine open, letting it breathe, will definitely soften it. I'm a big fan of decanting wine weather its young or old. Nothing fancy, a plastic 1 litre jug and a plastic funnel (< €5 in any hardware shop!) just pour the wine into the jug and then back into the bottle using the funnel. Job done.
The pouring is best done with wild abandon so you get as much oxygen as possible into it, although be careful going back into the funnel. On older wines you can hold back sediment too. Win Win.

davidjtaylor

Thanks. Maybe I’ll give it another whirl…

Slaphead07

davidjtaylor wrote: »

Thanks. Maybe I’ll give it another whirl…

a young wine needs it, an old wine deserves it.

deaglan1

ALDI have a list of all their vegan products, including wine & beer. Scroll down to appropriate section:

https://cdn.aldi-digital.co.uk/K0H7BLo3afUng6$yBBJbPKiz2FY.pdf


LIDL list the following wines as being vegan:

Valpolicella Superiore DOP 12%
Beaujolais Villages AOP 12.5%
Pinot Noir Vin de France 13.5%
Côtes du Rhône AOC Villages 13.5%
Allini Prosecco Treviso DOC Frizzante10.5%
Allini Prosecco Spumante Conegliano 11%