Vegan Wines at Target – I mean seriously, who does not love Target? Target is bright, cheery, everybody is super helpful, red-themed and they all have Starbucks! Today I am going to look at how everybody’s favorite store stacks up when it comes to its vegan wine selection. Like I have done for other stores, it is time to give the Vegan Bev HQ assessment of the best vegan wines we could find at Target.
There are vegan wines available at Target, including their exclusive range of California Roots wines. Most California Roots wines are vegan and are priced at $5, making them an affordable vegan wine option at Target. Target also has other vegan wine brands too – so no matter what your wine preference or budget, Target has a vegan wine for you.
But First, Why Is Wine Not Vegan?
First, a little recap. In my previous post, Why Is Wine Not Vegan – How To Know The Truth I talked about everything a vegan needs to know about wine. To give you a quick recap: most wines are not vegan. This is due to the common use of non-vegan fining agents (such as Isinglass, Egg albumin, and Milk Proteins) in the clarification process. Fining agents are added to wines during clarification to clamp together unwanted molecules, such as excess yeast and tannins which can then be easily removed during the filtration process.
And, yes, whilst there are vegan fining agents available the most commonly used remain the non-vegan versions.
How Can I Make Sure My Wine Is Vegan?
“How can I make sure the wine I buy is vegan?”. Now that is a great question. Wine labeling laws mean that winemakers are not required to list ingredients or fining agents used on wine bottles. This can make it nearly impossible to know what wines are and what wines are not vegan. Some good news is that winemakers are increasingly labeling their wines as “vegan” or “non-fined”. Sadly, the majority continue not to put anything on the labels.
This led me to want to write an article to help you sort through all these non-vegan issues and pick a vegan wine from your favorite grocery store – in this case, Target.
15 Best Vegan Wines at Target – Summary Table
| Best Budget Vegan Wines at Target | California Roots |
| Best Vegan Bubbles at Target | Wilson Creek |
| Best Vegan Low Alcohol Wine at Target | Stella Rosa |
| Best Vegan Boxed Wine at Target | Wine Cube |
| Best Vegan Pinot Noir at Target | Bogle |
| Best Vegan Pinot Grigio at Target | Santa Margherita |
| Best Vegan Red Blend Wine at Target | Menage a Trois |
| Best Vegan Rose at Target | Avaline |
| Best Vegan Cabernet Sauvignon at Target | Jam Cellars |
| Best Vegan Chardonnay at Target | Bonterra |
Vegan Roots Brand at Target
As I have mentioned above, I have written a few of these posts for different grocery stores. A common theme is that a lot of the same wines appear across many of these grocery chains (Menage a Trois anyone – read the other articles and you will know what I mean).
Target, however, is a little different. Enter California Roots, a vegan wine brand exclusive to Target. As well as most California Roots wines being vegan, it comes out at a super affordable $5 a bottle (or $9 for a 1.5-liter bottle). The only thing that can come close in comparison is Trader Joe’s “two buck chuck” which is also vegan (check out 10 Vegan Wines at Trader Joe’s You Need To Try).
As California Roots is exclusive to Target all six of their vegan wines (which are currently available to buy online) have made this list (I mean it’s my only opportunity to present them to you). But fear not, if you fancy a slightly more expensive plonk or California Roots just isn’t for you, I will also go through some other vegan wines also available at Target.
15 Vegan Wines at Target – Item-by-Item
Below is an item-by-item breakdown of 15 vegan wines I found at Target. I have included links to all the relevant wines on Target’s Website so you can easily find them.
No.1 California Roots Rose
A nice medium-dry rose with berry aromas and citrus notes. This rose is a blend of Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot, Grenache, and Muscat grapes. Perfect addition to a summer picnic and would be divine with a fresh spinach salad.
Find it on Target’s website by clicking here.
No.2 California Roots Red Blend
This red blend is the perfect everyday wine. Notes of cherries and berries galore with just a hint of spice. This red blend is medium dry and is a blend of Zinfandel, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. Goes perfectly with wild mushroom pasta and grilled veggies.
Find it on Target’s website by clicking here.
No.3 California Roots Cabernet Sauvignon
This medium-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon would be delish with a Beyond or Impossible burger. This Cabernet doesn’t disappoint with all the black currant, cherry, oak, and vanilla notes.
Find it on Target’s website by clicking here.
No.4 California Roots Chardonnay
A delicious light chardonnay with lots of tropical fruit flavors. This chardonnay is medium dry and is made using wood aging and partial malolactic fermentation resulting in a creamy mouth full. This would be great paired with a vegan wine and cheese platter (think Miyoko’s cheese wheels).
Find it on Target’s website by clicking here.
No.5 California Roots Sangria
Pour over ice with fresh fruit and serve up with vegan tacos. This sangria provides all the cranberry aromas and citrus flavors as well as a hint of spice. Light and fruity, this sangria is made from Zinfandel, Syrah, Merlot, Barbera, and Muscat grapes
Find it on Target’s website by clicking here.
No. 6 California Roots Pinot Grigio
This Pinot Grigio provides all the fruit vibes from peach and pear aromas to citrus and tropical fruit flavors. Delicate, crisp, and acidic it’s all you could want from a Pinot Grigio. This Pinot Grigio is medium dry and would go wonderfully with a green salad.
Find it on Target’s website by clicking here.
No. 7 Stella Rosa Red
I have talked about Stella Rosa before in my post about vegan wines at Walmart (see Introducing The 10 Best Vegan Wines at Walmart). Stella Rosa has a great selection of slightly different vegan wines such as watermelon, pineapple, and peach wines. This Stella Rosa Red is no exception. It is semi-sweet and semi-sparkling, with all the plum, strawberry, and raspberry flavors. It is lower in alcohol and would go great with a fruity dessert. It is a “red wine that will bring out your inner femme-fatale. Find her, embrace her.” Love it.
Find it on Target’s website by clicking here.
No. 8 Bogle Pinot Noir
If you are familiar with my wine posts here at Vegan Bev HQ you will have seen me mention Bogle wines before as well. Not all Bogle wines are vegan, but a lot are. This Pinot Noir is a great option and is even labeled as “vegan friendly” on the Target listing (just be aware though that not all Bogle Pinot Noirs are vegan according to Barnivore such as the 2020 variety). This earthy Pinot noir has all the strawberry, cherry, spice herb, and violet notes.
Find it on Target’s website by clicking here.
No. 9 Menage a Trois Midnight
See I told you Menage a Trois would make an appearance. Menage a Trois has made quite a few appearances here at Vegan Bev HQ. Menage a Trois has many widely available vegan wines so is always a great option. This midnight blend is made of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sira, and Petit Verdot and has flavors of blackberry, plum, mocha, and spice! Would be lovely with a vegan dessert.
Find it on Target’s website by clicking here.
No. 10 Wine Cube Merlot
I couldn’t have a list of 15 vegan wines without having one boxed wine on the list. So, this entry is for all you savvy vegan shoppers out there. A boxed wine that has aromas of blueberry and cocoa? Wine Cube Merlot for the win. Pairs well with a veggie pizza.
Find it on Target’s website by clicking here.
No. 11 Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio
The second Pinot Grigio entry on this list. This Pinot Grigio is a slightly higher-priced Pinot Grigio than the California Roots pinot. A mellow and smooth Italian Pinot Grigio – if a Pinot Grigio with lots of apple notes is your jam then this is the wine for you.
Find it on Target’s website by clicking here.
No. 12 JaM Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
The second Cabernet Sauvignon to make this list. If dark berry notes are your thing then this wine is for you – blackberries, black plums, black currant, and cassis galore, ending with just a touch of vanilla.
Find it on Target’s website by clicking here.
No. 13 Bonterra Chardonnay
Bonterra is another brand we have talked about before here at Vegan Bev HQ. Bonterra’s white and rose wines are vegan – their reds are not. All Bonterra’s wines are organic. The official description of this chardonnay is – “rich, buttery cream quickly turns to aromas of honey and lightly toasted almonds, with richer notes of pineapple, citrusy lemon and crème brulee. A bright and clean, refreshing palate with a lasting impression of lemon zest and vibrant tartness“.
Find it on Target’s website by clicking here.
No. 14 Avaline Rose
The second rose entry on this list – this one is at a slightly high price point than the California Roots entry. A light and fresh rose with melon notes, this French rose is made with organic grapes. “Pairs well with the warmth of the sun and company of your best friend“.
Find it on Target’s website by clicking here.
No. 15 Wilson Creek Almond Champagne
This Wilson Creek Almond Champagne has already been featured in my post on vegan wine at Sprouts (The Best Vegan Wine at Sprouts). It is a cross between champagne and amaretto, so it had to also make it onto another list. All the almond marzipan and caramelized sugar vibes. It has also won a California State Fair Gold Medal – so even more reason for a second mention.
Find it on Target’s website by clicking here.
Vegan Wines at Target – The Final Sip
Vegan Wine at Target? Yes, oh yes. And there is even a pretty good and even exclusive selection. Target must be the only store I have written about that has an exclusive selection of vegan wines – California Roots. Offered in a wide selection of grape varieties the wine even has an affordable price tag – 5 bucks a bottle. Will it be the best wine in the world, probably not, but is it vegan “heck yes”. Just think about all that extra enjoyment you can now have going to Target. Grab an amazing smooth-rolling red trolley, grab a vegan Starbucks, do some apparel shopping, and then hit the grocery aisles for some vegan food followed by some vegan wine. Good day.
*You can double-check the vegan status of the above wines in 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:
- 10 Vegan Wines At Trader Joe’s You Need To Try
- 10 Vegan Wines at Whole Foods Market You Need To Know About
- Vegan Wines at BevMo You Need To Try
- The Best Vegan Wine at Sprouts For Vegans
- 97 Vegan Wines at ALDI You Need To Know About
- Introducing the 10 Best Vegan Wines at Walmart
- 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
References (as of 8 January 2022)
California Roots wine on Barnivore
Stella Rosa red on Barnivore
Menage a Trois Midnight on Barnivore
Wine Cube merlot on Barnivore
Santa Margherita on Barnivore
JaM Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon on Barnivore
Bonterra Website
Avaline Rose on Barnivore
Wilson Creek Almond Champagne on Barnivore