Gadget Uses UV Light to Make Vegan Wine

Switzerland-based wine finishing company Vino Flux developed a device that uses ultraviolet light to refine wine. The device is designed to emit specific wavelengths of light that soften the tannins of young wines and speed their maturation process, but without the use of animal fining agents derived from sources such as fish bladders (or “isinglass”), gelatin, casein, or egg whites (or “albumen”). “There are other ways to produce similar results with wines to get softer tannins,” winemaker Mark Messenger says, “but if you are a vegan, this technology eliminates the need for animal-based protein fining agents, so it’s an attractive option for that market.” Global winemakers—including Spanish company Gik, which launched their vegan blue wine this fall—are using vegan wine production methods as consumers become increasingly aware of the animal products lurking in their libations