Vegan wine is increasingly gaining traction as the world attempts to move towards more sustainable practices and organic products. Nowhere is this trend more evident than in Australia.
Research conducted by culinary website Chef’s Pencil revealed that Australia’s population boasted one of the highest ongoing rates of veganism in the world in 2020. This has showed no signs of slowing down. Interestingly, this traction extends beyond vegan circles and into a market that is focusing on a broader target audience.
Large scale wine distributors such as Dan Murphy’s and Liquorland are increasingly pushing the ‘vegan’ and ‘organic’ label. This is targeted at the environmentally conscious customers. Just google ‘vegan wine Australia’ to see the numerous targetted ads. This exposure has prompted an interest from the public in what exactly goes into the creation of vegan and organic wines.
What is Vegan wine and how is it different?
According to Patrick Hardiker, winemaker and viticulturalist here at Cannibal Creek Vineyard, non-vegan wines can be identified as followed:
“Sometimes wines can have a slight haze which can be caused by protein or yeast. Traditionally, animal products such as eggs, milk and isinglass (fish product) are used as fining agents.”
Essentially, vegan wine can be described as the absence of such animal products during the winemaking process.
Here at Cannibal Creek Vineyard, we have done exactly that. Animal products have been replaced by plant based fining agents (if they are required at all). We say this because we believe in low-intervention practices throughout the winemaking process. As it stands, the complete range of Cannibal Creeks wines are now vegan.
A Sustainable Future
Sustainability is at the heart of all our practices at Cannibal Creek Vineyard. For Pat and Kirsten, this means ensuring that the environment is not compromised in the present or future, for the sake of the product. This reflects a much wider move in Australia towards sustainable agricultural practices. Consequently, a boost in vegan wine in Australia has been one of the many outcomes of this approach.
Click here to view our current range of vegan wines!
