Vegan Wine in Australia
We are on the search for the best vegan wine in Australia! You may be surprised to learn that wine isn’t naturally vegan being made from grapes, yet many Australian wines use animal products in their production processes.
In Australia winemakers are allowed to have more than 50 substances added to their product to get the desired result, and it is the ones used as ‘processing aids’ that become problematic for vegan wine lovers. The final stage of wine production is called ‘The Fining’, where substances are added to the wine to remove unsightly molecules left over from the fermentation process. Ironically these nasties are added to make the finished product appear ‘cleaner’. The main ones to look out for are gelatine (a protein obatined by boiling skin, tendons, bones and ligaments from cows or pigs), isinglass (the swim bladders of fish), milk products (casein) or egg whites. Many winemakers will state that vey little traces remain in the finished product, but the fact they are used at all renders the wine undrinkable to vegans. In Australia, wine-producers are required by law to state on their label if milk or egg products have been used during production, but laws vary internationally so it is quite often impossible to tell from the bottle how a French Sauvignon or German Riesling has been produced.
Thankfully vegan wine in Australia has seen huge developments recently, with some outstanding vegan-friendly wines hitting the market in both smaller vineyards and major retailers. We recently explored the vineyards of the Tamar Valley region in Northern Tasmania and had a huge selection of vegan-friendly wines to choose from.
If you can’t make it to Tasmania to taste local wines first-hand, we have found these other national vegan wines from around Australia that you will find in your local bottle shop or through online retailers.
Hello! V.F. (Very Friendly) Wine
We recently discovered this new-to-the-market vegan brand which comes in four varietals, Pinot Grigio, Rosé, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. I’ve become a big fan of Pinot Noir recently and this one went down very well (and a bit too easily!) Described as ‘elegant and essential Pinot Noir characters on the nose with fragrant and silky upfront fruit. Medium bodied with red and dark berry concentration ensuring a flavoursome and moreish wine with soft tannins filling out the edges.’ I love how the wines are paired with vegan food favourites too, the Shiraz recommended with Cauliflower steaks with middle eastern spices or the Rosé with fresh olives.
We have been enjoying some delighful Spring weather here in Tasmania and the Rosé went down a treat in the sun. Another bonus of the Hello! range is the price point, retailing at $13.99 per bottle you don’t need to save this one for a special occasion! You can find stockists here.
The Vegan Wine Project
A recent development from South Australian wine pioneers Yalumba based in the Barossa Valley, The Vegan Wine Project produces a Pinot Grigio, a Shiraz, a Sauvignon Blanc and a Rosé. What’s more, anything from the entire Yalumba range since the 2012 vintage is vegan-friendly, as they were ahead of the game and removed all animal products from their wine production several years ago. We also really enjoy their ‘Y Series’. You can find their full range here.
Frogmore Creek
I’m a big fan of this local Tassie Chardonnay, and all the wine from this vineyard have been vegan since 2014. They have a purist’s approach to winemaking and a strong philosophy of environmental sustainability which makes them a great choice.
160 Vegan Wines in Australia
Another great development for vegan wine in Australia is that 2 of the country’s major retailers have made it even easier to identify vegan-friendly wine online. Both Dan Murphy’s and BWS have dedicated search options for vegan wines. At the time of writing both stores have over 80 different choices, with a good mix of white, red, rose and sparkling varietals to choose from for all budgets.
These are some of our favourite vegan wines in Australia and we will be adding to this list as we find more, so please comment or message us if you have any recommendations.
