Vegan Wines at Whole Foods – yep, that’s right we are going to be talking about the best vegan wines you can get at the World’s largest natural and organic grocery store… Whole Foods Market. Founded in 1980 in Austin, Texas Whole Foods is now a global behemoth thanks to being owned by Amazon (Amazon bought Whole Foods in 2017 for $13.7 billion). Whole Foods has come a long way since 1980, so what can you expect in terms of vegan wine selection at Whole Foods Market? Well, not surprising given its natural and organic roots – a pretty good one. And, given the size of Whole Foods today I thought what better than to share my top 10 vegan wines at Whole Foods Market.
Vegan Wines At Whole Foods Market
There are vegan wines available at Whole Foods Market. From Cabernet Sauvignon to Rose, to Pinot Grigio, to Chardonnay, to Sauvignon Blanc, to Red Blends, to White Blends. There are vegan wines at Whole Foods Market to suit any palette. Some of these wines are also organic, have no sulfites added, or have low sugar content.
Wine – Is It Vegan?
If you have read my previous post on why wine isn’t vegan (Why Is Wine Not Vegan – How To Know The Truth?) you will know that most wines are not vegan due to the use of non-vegan fining agents. A fining agent is a substance added to the wine at the end of the fermentation process. Winemakers add them in to help clump together unwanted molecules such as yeast and excess tannins which can then be more easily removed during the filtration process. The issue is that, whilst there are vegan fining agents available, the most commonly used are non-vegan such as isinglass (dried-fish bladders), egg albumen, and milk proteins (to name a few).
Wine Labeling
On top of this, wine labeling rules do not require winemakers to include any indication on their bottles if: (A) the wine has been treated with a fining agent; and/or (B) if a fining agent was used – what exactly the fining agent was. This makes it practically impossible to know whether a bottle of wine is vegan or not unless the bottle is labeled as “vegan” or “not fined”.
This led me to want to write an article that would help you pick to be able to pick a vegan wine from your favorite grocery store – in this case, Whole Foods Market.
Summary Table – Vegan Wines at Whole Foods Market
Vegan Red Wines at Whole Foods Market
| Vegan Red Blend at Whole Foods | Vegan Cabernet Sauvignon at Whole Foods | Vegan Temparillo Malbec Wine at Whole Foods | Vegan Dark Red Blend Wine at Whole Foods | Vegan Merlot Wine at Whole Foods |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frey Organic Red Blend | Pizzolato Cabernet Sauvignon | Innovacion Tempranillo Malbec | Menage A Trois Midnight Red | Pizzolato Merlot |
Vegan White Wines at Whole Foods Market
| Vegan Pinot Grigio Wine at Whole Foods | Vegan Chardonnay at Whole Foods | Vegan Sauvignon Blanc at Whole Foods | Vegan White Wine Blend at Whole Foods | Vegan Rose Wine at Whole Foods |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kris Pinot Grigio | Fitvine Chardonnay | Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc | Frey Natural White | Innovacion Malbec-Syrah Rose |
10 Vegan Wines at Whole Foods Market – Item-By-Item
Below is an item-by-item breakdown of the above table’s wine listings. I have provided a link to all the wine listings on Whole Foods Market via Amazon Prime (because you know they are all one now).
1. Frey Organic Red Blend
Frey Vineyards have an entire long page on their website dedicated to their commitment to their wines being vegan (which is nice to see). This also includes the following statement:
“At Frey Vineyards we have made a commitment to formulate all of our wines without using any animal byproducts in the winemaking process.”
Frey’s red wines are not fined making them all vegan. Interestingly enough wine doesn’t even need to technically be fined. Over time the wine will naturally fine itself. The use of fining agent speeds this process up.
This red is from Californian Zinfandel grapes from 2011. The flavor is earthy and hearty.
Find this Frey Organic Red at Whole Foods Market by clicking here.
2. Pizzolato Organic Cabernet Sauvignon
This organic vegan Cabernet also has the added benefit of no added sulfites – so less of a hangover. It is Italian and has notes of honeyed roasted pineapple, currant pie, roasted green peppers as well as cranberry notes.
There is also the following statement on the back label of the wine:
“The Pizzolato family have been producing wine for five generations, with organic production, living in harmony with nature and the environment.”
Pizzolato wines have been certified vegan since 2012. The wine is also marked as vegan on the back label. This is super helpful.
Find this Pizzolato wine at Whole Foods Market by clicking here.
3.Innovacion Malbec-Syrah Rose
Is rose your thing (it is Jeremy Clarkson’s favorite type of wine don’t you know)? Then look no further than this Malbec-Syrah rose. As the name suggests it is made from 50% Argentinian Malbec and 50% Syrah from the South of France. The result? A fresh dry wine with tropical fruit flavors.
The back of the bottle states the following:
“100% sustainably farmed grapes. Social welfare programs. Energy conservation. Use of green fertilizers. Wildlife preservation. Vineyard irrigation from pure mountain water. Water recycling programs. Vegan friendly.”
Find this Innovacion wine at Whole Foods Market by clicking here.
4. Frey Wines Natural White Wine
We have already talked about Frey Vineyards above – their red wines are not fined and therefore vegan. But how about their white wines? It is more common to see unfined red wines than it is to see unfined whites (as the residue has fewer places to hide in white compared to red). Well, Frey uses only bentonite, a naturally occurring earth clay, as the fining agent for their white wines, making all Frey white wines as well as red wines vegan.
This Californian white table wine is crisp and dry with flavors of ripe melons and pears.
Find this Frey wine at Whole Foods Market by clicking here.
5. Pizzolato Organic Merlot
The second entry on the list from Pizzolato – this time a Merlot. Because any wine that has the word “vegan” printed on its wine labels deserves at least one mention in my opinion (other wine brands please take note!). This dry yet fruity medium-bodied Merlot provides aromas of “smoked nuts, spicy raspberry-rhubard pie crust, pink peppercorn and chive.”
Find this Pizzolato Merlot on Whole Foods Market by clicking here.
6. Kris Pinot Grigio
This 2016 Pinot Grigio has notes of lime, honey, acacia flower, and a touch of almond. Note that although Kris’ Pinot Grigio is vegan, their red wines are not vegan.
Find this Kris at Whole Foods Market by clicking here.
7. Fitvine Chardonnay
Is Chardonnay your thing? Look no further than Fitvine. Fitvine is an innovative wine brand aimed at people who love wine and love staying fit. Their wines contain less sugar and fewer additives than can be found in a lot of wines.
“FitVine is triple-filtered using a cutting edge cross-flow filtration involving no animal products. In addition to having a full, flavorful taste, these wines have less sugar than most other wines do, fewer sulfites, fewer calories, and no flavor additives.”
This Fitvine chardonnay may be low in sugar but it’s definitely not low in taste – you will get all the pear, citrus, and vanilla notes with this chardonnay.
Find this Fitvine at Whole Foods Market by clicking here.
8. Bonterra Sauvignon Blanc
This Sauvignon Blanc is a Californian 2020 vintage made with organic grapes. This Sauvignon Blanc is crisp and acidic with notes of grapefruit, kiwi, and honeydew.
Bonterra’s white wines are suitable for vegans but note that their red wines are fined with organic egg whites and so are not vegan.
Find this Bonterra at Whole Foods Market by clicking here.
9. Innovacion Tempranillo Malbec
This is the second entry on the list from Innovacion – you may remember they helpfully label their wines as vegan-friendly on the back of the bottle. This red blend is made from 70% Tempranillo and 30% Malbec. The result? A smooth red wine with flavors of blackberries, spice, marmalade, and red fruits.
Find this Innovacion wine at Whole Foods Market by clicking here.
10. Menage A Trois Midnight Red
This text is on the front of the bottle:
“Let the deep, dark magic of midnight entrance you. Velvety blackberry flavors linger on your lips like a stolen kiss.” Oh la la.
This midnight blend is deeply concentrated and boldly blended and so is not for the faint-hearted. It is sure to “satisfy your deepest desires” with its black cherry, berry, mocha, and spice notes.
A great wine to end the list with.
Find this Menage A Trois wine at Whole Foods Market by clicking here.
10 Vegan Wines At Whole Foods Market – The Final Sip
Can you find vegan wines at Whole Foods Market? Yes. Yes, you can. Just imagine all the extra fun you can now have cruising up and down the food aisles at your local Whole Food Market. My personal choice – The Menage-A-Trois. Red wine is my personal preference and I like bold and strong flavors. It’s that simple really.
*You can double-check the vegan status of the above wines via the links in the below references.
…now you know.
Beverage makers may change ingredients and/or manufacturing processes. Always double-check ingredients before purchasing any beverages.
Please Drink Responsibly.
Like What You Are Reading
Need to know more? Think your favorite beer or wine is vegan? How about your favorite Vodka, Tequila, or Gin – think those are vegan? Time to find out – check out some of my other articles:
- Is Alcohol Vegan? How to Know the Truth
- Is Liquor Vegan? How to Actually Pick Vegan Liquor
- Is Whiskey Vegan? How to Actually Pick Vegan Whiskey
- Is Tequila Vegan? How To Really Pick Vegan Tequila
- Is Gin Vegan? How To Really Tell Vegan Gins Apart
- Is Vodka Vegan? Hidden Surprises to Know About in Vodka
- Is Ginger Ale Vegan? Everything You Need To Know
- Is Beer Vegan – Introducing the Secrets to Finding Out
- Why is Wine Not Vegan – How to Know the Truth?
- Is Champagne Vegan? Revealing the Truth Behind the Bubbles
- Is Cider Vegan? How to Know the Pressing Truth
- Is Hard Seltzer Vegan? How to Really Tell
- Is Ginger Ale Vegan? Everything You Need To Know
