Vegan wine

[Second Summer]

Where do you buy your wines? What kinds do you like and dislike?

Do you drink it with meals? Snacks?

Do you find that certain types of wines go better / worse with certain types of food?

Jen just found this (UK-based) online wine store - use the advanced search to find the vegan wines:
https://www.nakedwines.com/wines/index.htm

 

[Poppy]

I'm not much of a wine drinker, but I use this when I buy wine to serve at parties.

http://www.barnivore.com

 

[Clueless Git]

I like red, white and rose wine.

Not tried any other colours yet but I'm sure I will like those as well.

 

[SummerRain]

My preference is red wine, I like rose, I don't like white. Most of the wine I buy is from either co-op, M&S or sainsburys, and a large portion of that is just for cooking. Only because those shops label their wine as vegan, and for me, I find working out what wine is vegan to be the most confusing part of being vegan! It changes with year/etc... too confusing.

I don't drink a lot though anyway, I get drunk easily, and I'm just not a big drinker. Once I had about three glasses of wine at my fiances parents house, realised I was pretty drunk, and went to bed at 9pm to stop myself making a scene. Awkward. Also my current medication means that I shouldn't really drink. I tend to drink wine on it's own if I do drink it, I don't really enjoy drinking with a meal.

I've heard that the idea that certain wines go with certain foods is nonesense, because sweet/salty flavours impact how wine tastes, but a meal as a whole has so many flavours it doesn't make sense to have a wine that goes with a meal... I don't know if that's true or not.

 

[Second Summer]

Overall, I'be had more success with white wines, but there are certain reds I like as well. However, it's so rare I drink wine these days, I have forgotten which ones ... Anyway, I would probably be considered an uncivilized barbarian, since I prefer wines that are sweet, almost like juice, and yes, I drink to get into that feeling-good mood where I'm able to joke and engage in spirited conversation.

 

[spottygiraffe]

Great topic for me! I have a degree in Viticulture and Oenology (wine-making) and a Diploma in wine-tasting -and I live on a vineyard. I'm in the process of rebranding our wine as vegan -we've never used animal products in the wine, but the organic fertiliser we used to buy had fish products in it -yuk! I think we've found a new supplier for this year, but it's surprisingly difficult to get organic fertiliser that doesn't contain any animal products.

I've heard that the idea that certain wines go with certain foods is nonesense, because sweet/salty flavours impact how wine tastes, but a meal as a whole has so many flavours it doesn't make sense to have a wine that goes with a meal... I don't know if that's true or not.

There is definitely some truth in that, SR. I actually host evenings where we try to match food and wine together -they're great fun and very interesting. There are no right and wrong answers, it's all subjective. The traditional thinking whereby people match fish with white wine and beef with red wine etc doesn't necessarily work because you need to match the flavours of any sauce and the acidity and 'mouthfeel' too. I love giving people dry sherry to taste with nuts because it has a salty flavour that goes really well. The best way to experiment is to try some wines that are completely wrong with what you're eating -it is easier to tell what doesn't go sometimes, rather than what does. I find that popular New World wines (from Australia, Chile, USA etc) don't go so well with food, with again a lot of people find surprising. For me they are too oaky and heavy and drown out the flavours of the food rather than complement them. Just thinking about what I had for dinner tonight -Thai curry with butternut squash. I didn't have any wine, but if I had have done a red wine would have completely clashed with the limey flavour and slight sweetness whereas an acidic white, such as a Riesling, might have worked. Vegan food is particuarly interesting to try to match with wine because the protein element is generally less dominant and the other flavours of the dish become more important. Oh dear, I could waffle on about this all day! Sorry everyone!

I love all coloured wines and I find I mostly drink red in the winter and white or rosé in the summer. I can force down a bit of fizz any time of year!

 

[PTree15]

I love red wines, on the drier side for me. I'm not a fan of whites, so I pretty much drink whatever reds I like with my food and such. I go to a couple of Connecticut vineyards for vegan reds, which end up being mostly blends. Priam in Colchester, Conn., and Gouveia vineyard in Wallingford, Conn., are vegan friendly, as is Bishop's Orchard (mostly fruit wines that I like to get for cooking) in Guilford, Conn.

 

[Trinity]

Not really a wine drinker myself, but I have an occasional glass and go for the Stellar brand available in my local health food store. I really love it..
They do a sort of mini sized bottle, so me & my hubbie get one of those each...
http://www.earthfare.co.uk/stellar-fairtrade-merlot-red-wine-750ml/p3510

We always have it with a meal of something like noodles and stir fry. Seems to work well.

 

[shyvas]

Great topic for me! I have a degree in Viticulture and Oenology (wine-making) and a Diploma in wine-tasting -and I live on a vineyard. I'm in the process of rebranding our wine as vegan -we've never used animal products in the wine, but the organic fertiliser we used to buy had fish products in it -yuk! I think we've found a new supplier for this year, but it's surprisingly difficult to get organic fertiliser that doesn't contain any animal products.


There is definitely some truth in that, SR. I actually host evenings where we try to match food and wine together -they're great fun and very interesting. There are no right and wrong answers, it's all subjective. The traditional thinking whereby people match fish with white wine and beef with red wine etc doesn't necessarily work because you need to match the flavours of any sauce and the acidity and 'mouthfeel' too. I love giving people dry sherry to taste with nuts because it has a salty flavour that goes really well. The best way to experiment is to try some wines that are completely wrong with what you're eating -it is easier to tell what doesn't go sometimes, rather than what does. I find that popular New World wines (from Australia, Chile, USA etc) don't go so well with food, with again a lot of people find surprising. For me they are too oaky and heavy and drown out the flavours of the food rather than complement them. Just thinking about what I had for dinner tonight -Thai curry with butternut squash. I didn't have any wine, but if I had have done a red wine would have completely clashed with the limey flavour and slight sweetness whereas an acidic white, such as a Riesling, might have worked. Vegan food is particuarly interesting to try to match with wine because the protein element is generally less dominant and the other flavours of the dish become more important. Oh dear, I could waffle on about this all day! Sorry everyone!

I love all coloured wines and I find I mostly drink red in the winter and white or rosé in the summer. I can force down a bit of fizz any time of year!

That sounds like an interesting adventure; cultivating grapes and making wine. Do you actually sell your wine at the vineyard ? I know that people who work in the wine industry as usually very passionate about their work.

I prefer strong bodied (rich in tannins) red wines but they trigger migraines so I usually drink white wine. My favourite is an oaked Chardonnay; particularly Australian or South African. I really dislike rosé (blush) and find that it has a peculiar taste.

I have been trying to purchase a British white wine for ages but in vain. It seems that no supermarket or wine shop where I visit stocks it.

I only ever buy New World wines as their quality is outstanding for the price. I particularly enjoy Malbec from Chili or Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina. Australian and South African shiraz and chardonnay.

I do find that it is important to pair the correct wine with food. I particularly like blue cheese with Sauternes which is a sweet wine. However I find that certain food just does not pair with wine ; chocolate, curries, salads with vinaigrette and soup. When I serve a fragrant curry, I prefer a glass of cool larger or lime flavoured shandy. I also think that a chilled glass of water pairs with chocolate.

I prefer wine as a pre dinner drink rather than with a meal. I find it far more relaxing and enjoyable to drink with nibbles than with a meal.

The following link has some very useful and interesting information concerning how to pair wine with vegan food and vegetable dishes.

http://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/news/pairings/tag/top/

 

[ledboots]

I like Chardonnay too, but champagne or another good dry sparkling wine is my favorite.

 

[PTree15]

That sounds like an interesting adventure; cultivating grapes and making wine. Do you actually sell your wine at the vineyard ? I know that people who work in the wine industry as usually very passionate about their work.

I prefer strong bodied (rich in tannins) red wines but they trigger migraines so I usually drink white wine. My favourite is an oaked Chardonnay; particularly Australian or South African. I really dislike rosé (blush) and find that it has a peculiar taste.

I have been trying to purchase a British white wine for ages but in vain. It seems that no supermarket or wine shop where I visit stocks it.

I only ever buy New World wines as their quality is outstanding for the price. I particularly enjoy Malbec from Chili or Cabernet Sauvignon from Argentina. Australian and South African shiraz and chardonnay.

I do find that it is important to pair the correct wine with food. I particularly like blue cheese with Sauternes which is a sweet wine. However I find that certain food just does not pair with wine ; chocolate, curries, salads with vinaigrette and soup. When I serve a fragrant curry, I prefer a glass of cool larger or lime flavoured shandy. I also think that a chilled glass of water pairs with chocolate.

I prefer wine as a pre dinner drink rather than with a meal. I find it far more relaxing and enjoyable to drink with nibbles than with a meal.

The following link has some very useful and interesting information concerning how to pair wine with vegan food and vegetable dishes.

http://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/news/pairings/tag/top/

I absolutely love dark chocolate with wine. Especially if the chocolate has fruit in it such as orange or raspberry.

 

[Second Summer]

Meh, not fond very of champagne or anything sparkling, really.

 

[PTree15]

Meh, not fond very of champagne or anything sparkling, really.

Me, either. I always give away my champagne for the toast at weddings.

 

[ledboots]

Me, either. I always give away my champagne for the toast at weddings.

Sit by me!

 

[PTree15]

Sit by me!

LOL, will do!

 

[shyvas]

I like Chardonnay too, but champagne or another good dry sparkling wine is my favorite.

It's strange but most champagnes give me a migraine. However I really do enjoy fizzy drinks.

 

[Second Summer]

Just came across this article in The Telegraph about vegetarian and vegan wine, what makes it un-veg*n etc:

The supermarkets do offer strict vegetarians some help. Tesco, M & S and Sainsbury’s all use the vegan and/or vegetarian pictogram symbols on the back label. The Waitrose website allows you to check a tick-box to search for wines that are “vegetarian” and also displays a vegan and/or vegetarian logo by the bottle, as appropriate. Only Co-op offers shoppers further information on fining agents. Its own-label wines give a full ''ingredients’’ list, which includes the fining agent, on the back label, although as the font is tiny you need to know where to look and what you’re looking for, and possibly also to be in possession of a pocket magnifying glass to spot and decipher the words casein, bentonite and so on.

Full article: The rise of 'vegetarian' wine (The Telegraph, 02 May 2014)

 

[shyvas]

Just came across this article in The Telegraph about vegetarian and vegan wine, what makes it un-veg*n etc:

Full article: The rise of 'vegetarian' wine (The Telegraph, 02 May 2014)

The readers' comments were highly interesting.

 

[Second Summer]

I bought a bottle of red wine at the vegan festival in Bournemouth this summer, and found occasion to drink it over the last few days. It's a Greek red wine with the Vegan Society stamp of approval called Sant' Or. It's also organic. I thought it was quite nice. Recommended.