NYT Drink Critic Talks About the Art of Vegan Wine

New York Times wine critic Eric Asimov educated his readers on the art of vegan wine in a recent article on the newspaper’s website. Asimov noted that the fining process of wine is where certain animal products such as egg whites or isinglass (made from fish bladders) can be introduced. While the fining materials are usually filtered out, there is usually residual isinglass or egg left in the beverage. The NYT writer also reports that vegan-approved wines usually utilize the clay-based bentonite during the fining process or they are simply listed as “unfined.” Although it can be difficult to tell whether a wine is vegan or not, according to Asimov, brands such as Ridge, Bonny Doon Vineyard, and Shinn Estate are all free of animals products and worthy of indulgence.