At first glance, vegan wine sounds like one of those labels that should not need explaining. Wine is made from grapes. Grapes are plants. Surely that makes wine vegan? Not always.
The answer lies not in the vineyard, but in the cellar, where animal-derived products have traditionally been used to clarify and stabilise wine before bottling.
It comes down to fining
During the winemaking process, wine is not the bright, clear liquid we later pour. It can contain suspended particles, including proteins and yeast, that may leave the wine hazy or affect its stability. One way of removing these is through fining.
A fining agent is added to the wine, where it binds to unwanted particles and helps them settle or become easier to remove. Historically, some commonly used fining agents have come from animals.
These include egg albumin, casein derived from milk, gelatine (made from animal collagen), and isinglass, which is obtained from fish swim bladders. WSET notes that although these agents are removed before bottling, the use of animal-derived products during production means the resulting wine is not considered vegan.
The distinction is therefore about how the wine is made rather than what eventually remains in the bottle.
How is vegan wine made?
There are several fining alternatives. Bentonite, a naturally occurring clay, is one of the most widely used vegan-friendly fining agents. Activated charcoal and other plant-based products can also be used, while some winemakers choose not to fine their wines at all and instead allow suspended material to settle naturally before racking or filtration. WSET provides a useful overview of these alternatives and the role of fining in vegan winemaking.
Haute Cabrière, for example, says it has used plant-based fining agents since 2015, having moved away from animal-derived alternatives as part of a broader environmentally conscious approach in the cellar.
It is also worth separating vegan wine from other commonly used terms. Vegan wine is not automatically organic, natural, biodynamic or sulphite-free. Conversely, organic wine is not necessarily vegan if animal-derived processing aids were used in the cellar.
South Africa ahead of the curve
South Africa has a particularly strong story to tell in this space. In 2019, Spier became the first winery in the world to receive Control Union Vegan Standard certification, initially covering its Seaward, Creative Block, 21 Gables and Frans K Smit ranges.
The certification formally verified that animal-derived products were not being used in the production of the certified wines. Spier also replaced traditional animal-derived fining agents with alternatives such as activated charcoal, bentonite and clay-based products, while using vegan-friendly additives and cleaning materials.
Importantly, then cellarmaster Frans K. Smit said the change did not affect the taste of the wines.
The milestone put a South African producer at the front of an international shift towards more transparent vegan-friendly winemaking, rather than simply following the trend.
More South African wines are joining the category
Perdeberg states that all its red wines are vegan-friendly, with no animal by-products used during production, and says it continues to invest in technology to expand its vegan-friendly offering.
Villiera has taken a whole-cellar approach, stating that all its wines are vegan-friendly. Its cellar combines this with other natural winemaking practices, including spontaneous fermentation for still wines.
At Leopard’s Leap, the Natura de-alcoholised range adds another dimension. The range is entirely plant-based, with pea- and potato-based proteins used instead of animal-derived fining products.
Taken together, these examples show that vegan-friendly production is no longer confined to a single wine style, price point or producer philosophy. It can be found in still wines, sparkling wines, premium ranges and even de-alcoholised products.
Part of a wider international shift
WSET notes that consumers are increasingly looking for greater transparency around what goes into their food and drink, including the processing aids used in winemaking. Vegan wine has consequently become more visible as producers move towards animal-free alternatives in the cellar.
There are signs that the category continues to gain ground. Italian market data shows vegan wine sales growing by 31.7% in 2024, although the category still accounted for only 0.9% of the market.
Commercial market research estimates the global vegan wine market at approximately R35.01 billion (US$2.1 billion) in 2024, with forecasts suggesting it could reach approximately R78.35 billion (US$4.7 billion) by 2034. Europe accounted for around 40% of the market in 2024.
The trend sits within a much broader plant-based market. Circana reports that across six major European markets, plant-based food and drink sales reached approximately R304.03 billion (€16.3 billion) in 2025, growing 5.1% year on year.
For South African producers exporting to Europe and other developed wine markets, vegan-friendly production can therefore be more than a philosophical choice. Clearly communicating how a wine is made may remove a purchasing barrier for consumers who increasingly want greater transparency around the products they buy.
Does vegan wine taste different?
In short, no. The grape variety, vineyard site, winemaking technique, oak regime and ageing remain far more important to the final flavour of a wine than whether an animal- or plant-based fining agent was used. WSET says there are no fundamental taste differences between vegan and non-vegan wines.
The purpose of fining is generally to improve clarity, stability or texture. That means a vegan wine can be just as serious, age-worthy or complex as any other bottle. The term merely describes the production process, not a wine style.
Winemakers aren't necessarily required to detail all their cellar practices on the label, and not every vegan-friendly producer pursues formal certification. Certification can involve additional cost and administration, meaning some wines may be vegan even if the word never appears on the bottle. The safest option is to look for a vegan-friendly statement or certification mark on the bottle, producer website or technical sheet.
Third-party databases such as Barnivore can also help, but producer information remains the best place to confirm a current vintage or range. For South African wine drinkers, there are already plenty of options.
Vegan wine is ultimately not a new style of wine. It is simply a clearer indication of how the wine in the bottle was made.