Is Prosecco Vegan? (And 3 Things To Watch Out For)

by Philip Thompson
03 January, 2023

Is there anything better than the crisp, bubbly taste of prosecco on a hot summers day? Probably not!

So if you're vegan you'll be pleased to hear that vegan prosecco is available from most major retailers.

With that being said, it's important to know what you're looking for as there is also prosecco which is not suitable for vegans due to animal products used in the fining process.

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Keep reading to for help to find out more about vegan prosecco and discover all the tools you need to spot vegan from non-vegan prosecco on the shelves.

Is Prosecco Vegan?

Yes, the majority of Prosecco's are vegan friendly, however some are not so you should check the label of each bottle to confirm if its vegan or not.

The answer to whether or not prosecco is vegan is a little tricky because it all depends on the way the prosecco is made and the ingredients that are used.

There are prosecco's available that are vegan friendly, however some are not vegan friendly so caution needs to be taken if you're a vegan prosecco drinker!

The good news for vegans is that there are vegan friendly prosecco's out there along with other vegan friendly wines.

It all comes down to the fining process used to produce the prosecco, if the fining process uses animal based ingredients the prosecco won't be suitable for vegans.

But don't worry if you're vegan...there are vegan prosecco's out there.

The Fining Process Used To Make Prosecco

The fining process involves the use of agents to remove excess yeast and sediments from the wine. This process is frequently used in the production of prosecco to make the wine clear and particle free.

Prosecco Fining Process Ingredient - Eggs

Some fining agents used in the Prosecco manufacturing process are often derived from non-vegan animal based ingredients such as:

Milk protein (casein)
Fish oil
Egg albumen (derived from egg whites)
Gelatin
Isinglass (fish bladder membrane)
Animal blood / bone marrow

However it is possible to produce vegan friendly prosecco using a vegan based fining process which uses bentonite clay or activated charcoal which are both perfect vegan alternatives to animal derived fining agents.

Here are some of the vegan friendly ingredients used to create vegan safe prosecco:

Silica gel
Silica clay
Pea gelatine
Kaolin (clay mineral)
Activated charcoal
Kieselguhr (sedimentary rock)

It is possible that certain eggs and casein are suitable for vegetarians, but this information may be unclear on the wine bottle label so it's wise to choose a vegan certified product. Vegan Friendly Fining Ingredients Used to Make Vegan Prosecco

Are Prosecco Ingredients Vegan Friendly (And Things To Watch Out For)

On the whole, prosecco is produced using a number of grapes with at least 85% coming from the glera grape variety.

The grape blends used to produce prosecco are vegan friendly.

However the fining process, and whether animal based ingredients are used as part of the fining process, is ultimately the key factor in determining whether or not a prosecco is vegan friendly.

How Do You Know If A Prosecco Is Vegan And Where To Buy It?

When you're shopping in your local store for vegan prosecco look on the bottle label for a vegan friendly symbol - you can find a few examples in the image below.

This is the best place to look to guarantee the brand and bottle is a vegan safe prosecco.

Only bottles with a vegan society logo (or something similar with appropriate vegan credentials) on the bottle have been produced using vegan friendly ingredients and manufacturing processes.

You can also check any prosecco brands website for further information on their vegan friendly credentials.

Major retailers and supermarkets usually offer a range of vegan alcohol but if you're looking for a specific variety you may be best shopping online or visiting a wine specialist.

Other good source of information on vegan prosecco are fellow vegans, vegetarians, and pescatarians.

There's also useful on social media, with many people keen to share their information with fellow vegans.

Can You Taste The Difference Between Vegan and Non-Vegan Prosecco?

There is very little or no difference in the taste of vegan prosecco.

It's only usually the fining process that uses animal products which means that the finished bottle of prosecco tastes no different (or at worst very negligibly) different to a vegan prosecco.

Depending on the fining process the agents used will get filtered away later in production or evaporate so only a tiny fraction of the agent used (animal or non-animal based) will remain - and this is why this information isn't always listed on the bottle by vineyards.

That being said, it may be possible to notice a marginal taste and texture difference drinking unfiltered prosecco. This is because unfiltered prosecco doesn't get filtered via a fining process, this can result in a slightly different taste, texture and cloudier appearance.

So a glass of vegan prosecco will taste delightfully bubbly, fresh and sweet (perfect for someone who doesn't like the usual taste of wine) even if vegan-friendly options like bentonite clay or activated charcoal are used as alternatives in the fining process.

Related:

Vegan Prosecco Taste

Final Thoughts

We hope you enjoyed our article about vegan prosecco.

If you have any questions, leave them in the comments, or email us at info@expertwinestorage.co.uk

Read our fun guide about how many glasses are in a bottle of prosecco here

You can browse more posts on Wine Facts here.