What makes a wine not vegan?

Animal-derived fining agents and processing aids: egg white and lysozyme, milk casein, gelatine, and isinglass from fish. Grapes, yeast and sulphites are not animal products.

Since these agents are mostly removed, the finished wine may contain no trace of them. A vegan claim is about how the wine was made, not only about what remains in the bottle.

What do I need before writing “vegan” on a label?

Written proof that no animal products were used at any stage: cellar records of fining and stabilisation, supplier specifications for each product, and, if you use a private logo, the certification of that scheme.

  • Cellar book showing the fining agents of each lot.
  • Technical sheets of each product used (some stabilisers and enzymes have animal-derived variants).
  • A procedure to avoid cross-use of equipment if you fine other wines with egg or casein.
  • Certification, if you use a private vegan logo.

Does a vegan claim go on the label or on the e-label?

On the label or on your marketing material. The e-label page must not carry marketing information, and a vegan claim is a voluntary claim, not one of the mandatory particulars. Keep it off the QR page unless a text clearly allows it.

Which fining agents rule out a vegan claim?

Every agent of animal origin, whether or not it remains in the wine and whether or not it is an allergen. Plant and mineral agents keep the claim open.

Which fining agents rule out a vegan claim?
AgentAnimal originCompatible with a vegan claim
Egg albumin, lysozymeYesNo
Casein, milkYesNo
GelatineYesNo
IsinglassYes (fish)No
Pea or potato proteinNoYes
Bentonite, activated carbon, PVPPNoYes
Chitosan from fungi, yeast extractsNoYes

Can a vegan logo go on the back label?

Yes. A vegan logo or statement is voluntary information and can appear on the front or back label, as long as it does not crowd the mandatory particulars below their legal size. Private logos are licensed by their certifiers, so check their rules on size and placement.

Is there demand for vegan wine labels?

Searches for “vegan wine” and “vegan wine label” show steady interest from consumers, especially in the United Kingdom, Germany and Scandinavia. For a winery that already fines with bentonite or plant proteins, the claim costs little: a line on the label and the records to back it up.

The risk is the other way round: a vegan claim on a wine fined with egg in one vintage only. Tie the claim to the lot, and check it at each vintage like the rest of the label.

What should the cellar records show?

Enough to answer a control or a retailer's questionnaire without reconstructing the vintage from memory.

  • For each lot: the fining and stabilisation products used, with their batch numbers.
  • The technical sheet of each product, showing its origin.
  • Cleaning steps between lots fined with animal products and vegan lots.
  • The date the claim was approved for that lot, and by whom.

How does vegan relate to allergen labelling?

They are independent. If egg or milk residues are detectable, they must be declared as allergens, and the wine cannot be called vegan. If you switch to plant or mineral fining agents, both problems go away at once. See our article on egg and milk fining.

Is “vegan” the same as “organic” or “natural”?

No. Organic is defined by Regulation (EU) 2018/848 and certified by a control body; organic wine may be fined with egg or milk. “Natural” has no legal definition for wine. Vegan is about animal products only.

Questions from winemakers

Is vegan wine regulated in the EU?

There is no specific EU definition. The general rule applies: claims must be accurate and not misleading.

Are sulphites vegan?

Yes. Sulphites are mineral compounds, not animal products.

Sources

Selection criteria: we cite official texts first (EUR-Lex, national law portals), then named surveys with their publisher.

Updated on November 2, 2026 by the WineLex team