And yes, we are going to talk about this popular alcoholic drink which would not be suitable for vegetarians and what we will see below is quite unexpected.
Wine is an essential part of French culture. In 2022, France was the second largest producer. Whether red, white, rosé, organic or natural, it is true that we like to taste it to accompany a tray of cheese as an aperitif or during a meal. It is just as true that the French are interested in the universe of oenology. According to the Sowine*barometer, 48% of French people consider themselves enlightened amateurs.
We often associate wine with a vegetarian or even vegan product. A “Vegane” label is sometimes even present on the bottles. However, even if we believe we know this drink, there are details that we do not know. Can wine really be categorized as a vegan product? The answer is no and we will explain why.
Some wines contain animal products
The site Wine Enthusiast Explain that some producers add products of animal origin during the vinification process. One of the last manufacturing stages is collage, which consists in removing the deposits in the wine to make it brighter. Nevertheless, all the winegrowers do not do this operation and our knowledge, we do not know of winegrowers producing Alcohol -free wines which would practice this type of collage.
What are the elements that are taken into account in the preparation?
During this collage, there is mainly the presence of egg whites. This product eliminates the hardest tannins. However, that's not all, the cow's milk protein can also be present in white wines with the box. The objective is to make them brighter and remove oxidative odors. Gelatin can be used at the collage stage. Here, it allows you to give a bright color to white wines and a softness with red wines. You can also see traces of ichthyocolle (a glue of fish) or chitosan (a carbohydrate derived from crustacean shells) to remove the excess of colors from white wines.
We bet that these practices are not replicated in the majority of alcohol -free wines!
🍷 Cheers!
*Examination of purchasing behavior in the wine and spirits industry by 2023
