Vegan Wine?! Silly me. I thought grapes were already vegan!

Apparently, I was wrong. Wine, like annoying hipsters, can be Vegan with a capital V. According to Barnivore:
Brewmasters, winemakers, and distillers may include animal ingredients in their products directly, or they might use them in the processing and filtration.

When making the product, dairy, honey, and other things (including, in one case, a whole chicken dropped in the tank) are ingredients in the final recipe.

When filtering the drinks prior to bottling, companies can use things like isinglass (from fish bladder,) gelatin, egg whites, and sea shells, among other things. These products grab onto the impurities and make it easier to catch them in the filters, though there are many animal-free alternatives in use.

These ingredients don't usually show up on the label, so the only way to find out is to ask
.
A whole chicken was in my Zinfandel?! I hope it was extra crispy recipe.

Seriously, who cares? So there's a little egg white in your Merlot or a little fish bladder in your Chardonnay.

a) You're drinking wine, you alky. Don't be so holier-than-thou.
b) The alcohol probably kills any animal remains, so drink with a clear conscience, and
c) If you're drinking the good stuff, then the animal probably had a good time prior to its oenophilic murder.

Drink up and save your ethical dilemmas for things that really matter--like shoes or bad highlights or buying the Whole Foods brand but pawning it off as a boutique brand. (unforgiveable!!)

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