Best vegan wines

Most winemakers use substances called fining agents during production, but not all of these are suitable for vegans. 

To help you find a vegan wine worth a place at your table, we've rounded up the best available from our taste tests below.  

Whether you're in the mood for a rich red or a celebratory champagne, our expert taste tests will help you pick the perfect option for your budget.

Why is wine not vegan?

Wines appear cloudy following fermentation because the proteins in them clump together. These are natural ingredients and not harmful, but brands prefer to sell a clear, pure wine. 

To deal with the haze, manufacturers use fining agents to help the proteins clump together and sink to the bottom of the wine, making the sediment easier to remove.

Some commonly used fining agents contain animal products, which means certain wines are a no-go for vegans. During the fining process, egg albumen (derived from egg whites) is sometimes used for red wine, while milk protein is used for white wine. Other animal-derived fining agents include bone marrow and fish oil.

If you're shopping for a vegan wine, you'll want to look out for a drink that's produced using animal-friendly fining agents. Below, we've rounded up some suitable red wines and champagnes which are listed as vegan or vegetarian on the bottle.

Discover which wine goes best with different foods

Best vegan red wines

Only logged-in Which? members can view the results below. If you're not yet a member, you'll see an alphabetically ordered list of the vegan red wine on test. To get instant access, join Which? now.

Aldi Cocodrilo Argentinian Malbec 2020 

£10 for 75cl

According to Aldi, this vegan red wine is balanced and complex, pairing perfectly with pasta or chocolate desserts.

Did it impress our expert tasting panel? Log in or join Which? to unlock our test results.

Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Aldi.

Co-op Fairtrade Irresistible Organic Malbec 2019

£7.50 for 75cl

This Argentinian malbec is one of the cheapest vegan red wines we tested.

Does it offer good value for money? Log in now or join Which? to unlock our test results.

Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Co-op.

M&S Classics Lomas Del Marqués Rioja Reserva 2019

£9 for 75cl

M&S promises ‘flavours of berries and a hint of spice' in this Spanish red. 

Is it one of our top-scoring vegan wines? You can log in now or join Which? to see how this wine fared.

Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Ocado.

More vegan red wines on test

• Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pays d’Oc Pinot Noir 2019 (£11 for 75cl), available from Sainsbury's.
• Spar Ursa Maior Rioja Reserva 2017 (£8 for 75cl), available from Spar.
• Waitrose No.1 Foundation Cederberg Syrah (£11 for 75cl), available from Waitrose.

To see our full selection on test, head over to our best red wine guide.

Best vegan champagnes

Only logged-in Which? members can view the results below. If you're not yet a member, you'll see an alphabetically ordered list of the vegan champagne on test.

To get instant access, join Which? now.

Aldi Philizot et Fils Blanc de Noirs Champagne

£18 for 75cl

Aldi says this vegan champagne is 'elegant and well structured, with a lingering finish'. 

Did it win over our expert panel? To find out how Aldi's offering measured up to rival supermarkets, join Which? to unlock our test results

Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Aldi.

Co-op Les Pionniers Non-Vintage Champagne

£19 for 75cl

At less than £20 per bottle, Co-op's vegan champagne could be one to consider if you don't want to spend a lot.

How did it fare against pricier bottles? To see whether this champagne was one of our favourites, join Which? to unlock our test results.

Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Co-op.

Heidsieck Monopole Blue Top Brut Champagne

£28 for 75cl

With a blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier, this vegan bubbly is described as 'lively and moreish'.

Is it one of our top-scoring champagnes? Join Which? to unlock our test results.

Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's and Tesco.

More vegan champagne on test

• Lanson Le Black Label Brut Champagne (£35 for 75cl), available from Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose.
• Lidl Comte de Senneval Champagne Brut NV (£13.50 for 75cl), available from Lidl.
• Lidl Veuve Delattre Champagne Brut NV (£12 for 75cl), available from Lidl.
• M&S Champagne Delacourt Brut NV (£20 for 75cl), available from M&S.
• M&S Louis Vertay Brut NV Champagne (£17 for 75cl), available from Ocado.
• Moët & Chandon Brut Imperial NV Champagne (£38 for 75cl), available from Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose.
• Morrisons Adrien Chopin Champagne (£19 for 75cl), available from Morrisons.
• Morrisons The Best Brut Premier Cru Champagne (£21 for 75cl), available from Morrisons.
• Piper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne (£35 for 75cl), available from Asda, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Waitrose.
• Sainsbury’s Landric Champagne Brut (£25 for 75cl), available from Sainsbury’s.
• Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Blanc De Noirs Champagne (£21 for 75cl), available from Sainsbury’s.
• Spar Marquis Belrive Champagne (£19 for 75cl), available from Spar.
• Taittinger Brut Reserve NV Champagne (£36 for 75cl), available from Asda, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Waitrose.
• Tesco Finest Premier Cru Champagne (£21 for 75cl), available from  Tesco.
• Waitrose Blanc De Noirs Brut NV Champagne (£24 for 75cl), available from Waitrose.

See our full selection of the best champagne on test.

Best vegan sparkling wines

Only logged-in Which? members can view the results below. If you're not yet a member, you'll see an alphabetically ordered list of the vegan sparkling wine on test. To get instant access, join Which? now.

Co-op Irresistible Prosecco

£8.50 for 75cl

Co-op's prosecco is one of the cheapest vegan sparkling wines we tested. 

But does a low price mean compromising on taste? To find out how it scored, join Which? to unlock our test results.

Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Co-op.

M&S Classics Crémant de Bourgogne NV

£10 for 75cl

This M&S crémant, which is suitable for vegans, promises flavours of peach blossom, apricot and redcurrants.

Did it get the thumbs up from our expert wine panel? Join Which? to unlock our test results and find out where this wine ranked overall.

Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Ocado.

Morrisons The Best Crémant de Limoux

£12 for 75cl

Morrisons says it's crémant is aged for at least 12 months to add creaminess and a touch of biscuit richness.

Was it one of our highest-scoring vegan wines? Find out how our expert panel rated it – join Which? to unlock our test results.

Want to buy without reading our results? Available from Morrisons.

More vegan sparkling wine on test

• Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Prosecco Conegliano 2020 (£10 for 75cl), available from Sainsbury's
• Spar Castelfino Cava (£7.50 for 75cl), available from Spar
• Tesco Finest Blanquette De Limoux 2019 (£9.50 for 75cl), available from Tesco
• Waitrose La Gioiosa DOCG Superiore Prosecco 2020 (£13.50 for 75cl), available from Waitrose

To see our full selection of sparkling wines on test, head over to our best prosecco and sparkling wines guide.

How we tested vegan wines

Our panel of independent experts blind-tasted 19 champagnes, 10 sparkling white wines and 10 red wines in September 2021. Not all of them were vegan-friendly, so we've only included the vegan ones here. 

We disguised all the bottles before serving so that they didn’t know which brand they were tasting. Each expert assessed the drinks in a different order. At the end of the tasting, they discussed their ratings and agreed on a score for each bottle.

Our experts were: 

• Kathryn McWhirter Wine expert and co-author (with Charles Metcalfe) of 'The Wine and Food Lover’s Guide to Portugal'
• Charles Metcalfe Speaker, author, and co-founder of the International Wine Challenge
• Sumita Sarma Wine writer and founder of wine consultancy Sumilier
• Peter McCombie Master of Wine, restaurant wine consultant, speaker, writer and critic.

How to recycle wine bottles

Glass bottles can usually go in your household recycling bin. If your council doesn’t accept them, you can take them to a local bottle bank.

The recycling process can vary depending on where you live, so make sure to check with your local area if bottles require rinsing first and whether metal screw caps should be replaced or recycled separately.

Natural corks can’t go in your recycling bin. You can recycle natural corks through Recorked UK – either by posting them or dropping them off at your nearest collection point.

Synthetic corks, which are made of plastic, can’t be recycled. They should be disposed of in your general waste bin.