Prosecco is such a versatile and tasty beverage to have all year round especially for those special moments. But is Prosecco Vegan?
In our humble opinion there is always a time for a perfect excuse to enjoy a little glass of bubbly, whether its a birthday or just celebrating the thank god its Friday feeling.
But the real question we want to know the answer to is. When we pop that cork is our tasty prosecco vegan or not?
In this article, you’ll learn about what ingredients or processes can cause your favorite Prosecco to not be vegan. We will endeavor to find out whether prosecco is Vegan.
Luckily most Prosecco is Vegan friendly so do not fret! Another alcoholic beverage that you maybe keen to find out whether it is vegan or not – Is Gin Vegan?
Why Prosecco might not be Vegan
Sparkling wines like prosecco, cava and champagne are all made from grapes like wine right? So why would they not be vegan?
If we look first at the ingredients of wine – these are natural made from grape juice normally the initial fermentation is very traditional using natural yeast however some modern wines can use an array of potentially surprising alternative ingredients:
- Sugar
- Water
- Yeast
- Sulphur dioxide
- Synthetic flavourings
- Concentrated grape juice
- Calcium carbonate
- Potassium (sorbate and/or metabisulphite)
Well apparently in our delicious sparkling alcoholic options they may well be animal products lurking, but do not throw away those Champagne flutes just yet as once you know what to look out for you will be able to find many delicious vegan prosecco’s in many supermarkets.
Is there Fish in Prosecco?
Yes, unfortunately there could be. Not an actual fish but fish guts, for some alcoholic beverages that go through a clarifying stage called fining the manufacturer could well have used a fining agent called isinglass which is a fish’s bladder.
What is Fining?
Fining is a process that some alcoholic beverages need to go through as part of the clarifying process. It is known as the Charmat-Matinotti method and it happens after the second fermentation.
They add a fining agent to the liquid as part of a bonding method, unfortunately some companies use fining agents that are animal products and are therefore not suitable for vegans and occasionally vegetarians.
Are there vegan friendly fining agents?
There are of course fining agents that are not of animal origin – bentonite clay or activated charcoal are just a couple of alternatives. So make sure that you check your prosecco before consuming.
Why do we use fining agents?
Fining is done so as our wine or sparkling wine and in this case prosecco can be clear of particles and not look so hazy to the eye. Also wines that have not gone through this process tend to be a little more earthy and some say pungent which doesn’t necessarily appeal to the majority of palettes.
One great option for fining is the use of mechanical filtration – this is becoming increasingly popular and of course will only benefit all of our fellow vegans out there looking for some great tasting and animal product free vegan prosecco’s.
Should Vegans be concerned about Sugar in Prosecco?
Most of the sweetness that you find in prosecco will originate from the natural sweetness of the grapes. However some companies may add more sugar to your prosecco. This is called dosage; this is either accomplished through the addition of sugar or the adding of a sweeter wine.
As most vegans will know sugar is a tentative subject as sometimes and it is nearly impossible to know the sugar has gone through a process using bone char. There is such an unlikely chance that this could have happened to your tasty Vegan Prosecco that this really shouldn’t dissuade you from drinking any sparkling wines. Sugar continues to be a hot topic for vegans, if you are interested in whether sugar is considered Vegan then check out this post: Is Sugar Vegan? for more information.
Our Favourite Sparkling wines and/or Vegan Prosecco
- San Leo Prosecco
- Giel Prosecco Frizzante
- Proudly Vegan
- Avaline, Avaline Sparkling
- Della Vite, Prosecco Superiore
- Coop Premium Prosecco
- Pisani Vegan Prosecco
- Marks and Spencer Prosecco
- Sainsburys Taste the Difference Prosecco
There are many Vegan Prosecco’s available in all supermarkets and these are of course great value. Always check the bottle for the suitable for Vegans, although sometimes they may not say we would always recommend looking your prosecco up on the well known Barnivore site to double check if your beverage is vegan or not.
FAQ’s
Is Tesco Prosecco Vegan?
Tesco Bella Cucina Prosecco is Vegan Friendly. Make sure that you check the bottles for the Vegan symbol, or clarification where it will say suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Often if it says suitable vegetarians there could be some ingredients that may not be suitable for vegans. If in doubt check the Barnivore website.
Is Aldi Prosecco Vegan?
Aldi has many vegan options but there Collezione Oro Vegan Proseccon is a very tasty vegan prosecco option at a very reasonable price. Their Organic Prosecco is also Vegan friendly.
Is there fish in Prosecco?
Yes unfortunately occasionally there can be a fish substance called isinglass which is made from fish bladders sometimes found in prosecco.
Other animal products that can be found in prosecco are milk, egg white and gelatin. Read packaging carefully and research the company and product you are buying to be completely at ease.
Is Asda Prosecco Vegan?
No, unfortunately the prosecco sold in Asda that is labelled Asda Prosecco is not vegan friendly. If you are in Asda you will be able to find other brands of prosecco that are vegan one that is, is the Extra Special Asti Spumante.
Is Prosecco Love Vegan?
i heart prosecco is unfortunately not vegan friendly as they use non vegan products during the refining process. Even though they then remove these products they cannot guarantee that there is 100% no traces left.
Which Champagne is Vegan Friendly?
Here is a list of current vegan approved Champagnes (at the time of writing):
- Moet & Chandon
- Veuve Clicquot
- Nicolas Feauillatte
- Taittinger
- Dom Perignon
- Lanson
- Piper-Heidseick
- Krug
- Pol Roger
- Louis Roederer
- Perrier- Jouet
- There are many supermarket branded champagnes that are also Vegan not listed here.
During the festive season many of us are having to cater for fellow vegans or vegan guest or just for our friends who may have some dairy intolerances in which case finding out whether certain foods and drink are suitable are quite crucial – please look at some of other informative guides to help you find out what is vegan and what is not:
Summary … So is Prosecco Vegan Friendly and Can Vegans Drink it?
So thank goodness for those of us who follow a plant based lifestyle most Prosecco is 100% vegan friendly! Phew… Unlike some wines which can tend to have milk or even egg in as an added ingredient.
However there are the odd few prosecco brands that may not be considered vegan friendly due to how it has been clarified which is during the fining process where they could have used non vegan fining agents which could be gelatin, casein, albumin and isinglass.
