Vegan Port?

[signus]

hi - i'm a vegan & live in the UK.

for about 2 years i've been drinking M&S 2009 LBV that is marked "suitable for vegans".

however due to unavailability i recently tried Taylor's 2009 LBV & although not marked as above i am informed it's ok.

both the above are £15 & occasionally £12 on offer - i drink around 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 bottles per week.

i would like to try other styles of port suitable for my diet & within the same price range or even cheaper - can anyone please advise?

i've been told that all "Special Reserves" are fined using animal derived products such as egg or gelatine etc.

thank you.

[jdaw1]

Do you have an (empty) bottle of the M&S brand? Who makes it? Which firm supplies it to M&S? It is possible — but I can’t promise for certain — that all that firm’s ports are made in a similar way.

i drink around 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 bottles per week.

Good effort.

[RAYC]

The problem from the perspective of a strict vegan (and in some cases a strict vegetarian) is that the fining process often involves the use of fish bladder / egg white / cattle connective tissue. And often even ports labelled as "unfiltered" will still undergo light fining. But I'm not aware that this is any more of an issue for port than for other wines.

It's been a while since I myself looked into the question for a strict vegan friend, but I seem to remember there was also a vegan website prominent on Google searches that listed ports that had been confirmed by producer as being suitable for vegans. I think Oscar Quevedo has also confirmed that the Quevedo unfiltered lbvs and vintage ports are completely unfined and suitable for vegetarians / vegans.

Interesting to to know that Taylor have made their LBV suitable - did they confirm to you that they have switched to non-animal products for their fining process?

[LGTrotter]

Do not take my word for it but I thought that although out of the suggested price range most vintage/single quinta ports were unfiltered and therefore suitable for vegans. Like RAYC I would guess that the vegan society could advise you.

[Andy Velebil]

I'm drawing on all my resources, which may be off. Most of your large companies are using finning equipment that is in layman's terms, a large mesh pad that traps particulates of certain sizes as it's pumped through the large filter machine. It's inert so there is no animal products in it.

Most large companies aren't using egg whites, as was common in the older days with dry wines in many regions. Technology now allows the above use far cheaper and easier on a large scale. And unfiltered Ports aren't "stripped" that much and generally are just past through a semi-fine metal mesh to catch the stems, skins, etc.

Most likely, for all the newer products and vintages from larger Port companies means you should be fine.

Beware that older Ports, more so old tawny's that were made in small quantities and bottled a long time ago, may have been filtered at one point with something that may not be vegan.

[DRT]

I think we need to be careful not to confuse filtering with fining. Fining requires something to be added to the wine in order to remove organic compounds which coagulate with the fining agent and fall out of the wine (i.e. sink to the bottom). Filtering cannot remove these compounds as they are too small. You need to find producers that either do not fine any of their Ports (extremely unlikely for anything other than Vintage Port, Unfiltered LBV & Crusted) or who use non-animal products as fining agents.

I believe that Taylor make all of the Ports sold by M&S, which explains why both claim to be vegan-friendly.

This might help: http://www.barnivore.com/liquor/600/Premium-Port-Wines

[signus]

many thanks for all your replies

I believe that Taylor make all of the Ports sold by M&S, which explains why both claim to be vegan-friendly.

This might help: http://www.barnivore.com/liquor/600/Premium-Port-Wines

just checked the bottles & that's correct - also thanks for the link.

[Andy Velebil]

Keep in mind, fining agents are removed after their use. So you aren't going to be drinking them. It's a binding agent that is designed to remove stuff in wine and is then removed after it's job is done (or on a large scale the wine is simply passed through it). If any of it's left in wine you will see it and probably not want to drink it, LOL.

Here's a link for a decent explanation of some commonly used products.
http://www.uark.edu/depts/ifse/grapepro ... mc14wg.pdf

[jdaw1]

All our Bottle Matured wines will comply with a Vegetarian or Vegan’s requirements, being all Vintage Port, Single Quinta Vintage Port, Bottled Matured Late Bottled Vintage (Warre’s and Smith Woodhouse) and Crusted Port.

Our Wood Ports, being Aged Tawny’s, LBV’s, Reserve Ruby’s etc. are not because they may contain traces of fining agents such as egg white ….

[AdrianBridge]

We do make some Port for vegans and some that are for vegetarians. Much of the Marks and Spencer is for vegetarian in that they use egg albumem rather than pig gelatin. At the moment the M&S port range only has vintage, Late Bottled vintage and Pink for vegans.

For Taylor, Fonseca and Croft all our LBV's, vintages, 30 and 40 year old tawnies are suitable for vegans. The Croft Pink is not vegan but vegetarian.

I will get some further information placed on the individual brand websites.

Many thanks
Adrian Bridge
CEO
Taylor's Port, Fonseca Port and Croft Port.

[jdaw1]

Thank you.

I will get some further information placed on the individual brand websites.

To help the original poster, links to: Taylor; Fonseca; Croft; and The Fladgate Partnership. But assume that it will be a few days before the information appears.

[Andy Velebil]

I will get some further information placed on the individual brand websites.

Many thanks
Adrian Bridge
CEO
Taylor's Port, Fonseca Port and Croft Port.

Thank you, we all like very informative website (paging Julian)

[RAYC]

We do make some Port for vegans and some that are for vegetarians. Much of the Marks and Spencer is for vegetarian in that they use egg albumem rather than pig gelatin. At the moment the M&S port range only has vintage, Late Bottled vintage and Pink for vegans.

For Taylor, Fonseca and Croft all our LBV's, vintages, 30 and 40 year old tawnies are suitable for vegans. The Croft Pink is not vegan but vegetarian.

I will get some further information placed on the individual brand websites.

Many thanks
Adrian Bridge
CEO
Taylor's Port, Fonseca Port and Croft Port.

Very useful info - thanks.

[jdaw1]

From this thread jdaw1 has deleted some posts.

From this thread jdaw1 has deleted some more posts. Replies to this thread should be on-topic.

[oscar quevedo]

Hi Signus, my name is Oscar and my family is a small Port wine producer based in the Douro. Our Late Bottled Vintage, which matches your price point is finned only with bentonite and thus suitable for vegans. It is available in the UK through different retailers, though the easiest is probably nakedwines.com.

If you try it, then let me know what you think about it. PM me here.

Cheers!

[PhilW]

Oscar - I've just texted you, but am out if text coverage; incoming later.
Regarding Naked Wines, without making judgement on their offering, it should be noted that their business model is unusual, requiring regular payment from the customer to access the wines at best prices. Also, although I see your Ruby, Ruby reserve, white, Tawny and Rose listed under their fortified section, your LBV is not.

It might be worth mentioning another retailer where it can be purchased directly?

[oscar quevedo]

Hi Phil, that's true about Naked Wines, LBV is out of stock but restocking soon. Another option is http://www.wine-boutique.co.uk/port.

Thank you!