Which Prosecco Is Vegan?

If you love a good, quality wine, you may have tried Prosecco. This Italian white wine is a favorite of many. But as a vegan, you need to know whether it is vegan-friendly or non-vegan. Well, you’re in luck because that’s precisely what we’re discussing here today.

We wanted to learn more about Prosecco to determine if we could add this wine to our list of vegan-safe beverages. Through our research, we found the answer we were looking for. So join us as we share whether Prosecco is vegan and which wines you can partake in.

What Is Prosecco?

Prosecco is an Italian white wine. It has a fresh floral fragrance, somewhat spicy acidity, and a lot of bubbles. And while it’s a pleasure to drink, is Prosecco more of an inexpensive alternative to high-quality champagne?

It’s a question that gets asked a lot after people taste Prosecco for the first time. From what we can tell, Prosecco holds its own against champagne, as it presents a delightful taste and aroma.

Although Prosecco is considered an Italy wine, the grapes used to make it were actually brought to Italy, once coming from Slovenia. What’s more, Prosecco grapes used to be called glera grapes. But that changed in 2009 when the winemakers in Italy decided to get rid of their Slovenian heritage and re-sell the grapes as Prosecco.

Moreover, Prosecco is available in a variety of styles. However, the most popular so far is the original and extra original. Brut means the wine is rather dry, so if you have a glass and it makes you pucker, most likely it is a Brut.

It’s important to note that with Prosecco, you should be aware of three common levels of dryness:

• Original flavor (Brut): Easily the driest wines.
• Extra dry (Extra Brut): It’s just a term that means it’s extra dry.
• Brut: A term that means it’s a dry type. This is the most common Prosecco available.

We can’t recommend one style over another, as it all comes down to personal preference. Some prefer the drier taste of their wine, but you might be somewhere in the middle. As such, it’s best to try them all and then decide which one you prefer the most.

Champagne vs. Prosecco

Those who love wine tend to think that Prosecco is an affordable alternative compared to true champagne. However, we found that the two are actually quite different. For starters, these types of sparkling wines come from different grapes. Champagne is made from a blend of Chardonnay grapes and Pinot Noir, while Prosecco uses only glera grapes.

Secondly, these two are made using varying winemaking methods. Champagne makes use of older and more traditional technology, while Prosecco producers use technology and create a more economical way to produce higher quality wines.

In addition, Prosecco isn’t always the more affordable option between the two. In fact, some of the very best Proseccos are high-quality wines with high price labels. And premium Proseccos are made in very small batches in regions with protected wine.

There are several Prosecco quality levels to pay attention to, but the two at the two ends of the scale are:

• DOC: Prosecco DOC is wine with an origin that has a controlled designation. As such, DOC is the most common.
• Superiore DOCG: This wine undergoes strict rules to achieve and maintain its quality. If you see the “Superiore DOCG” symbol anywhere on the bottle, it means it’s one of Prosecco’s best.

Unless you’re a wine connoisseur, you may want to stick with DOC, especially if you’re just getting your feet wet.

So, Is Prosecco Vegan?

We have great news for all you Prosecco wine lovers out there. The vast majority of Prosecco wines are indeed vegan-friendly. While it’s true that many Proseccos are vegan, it all comes down to how the wine is clarified. This occurs in a process known as “fining.”

Since some Prosecco does not use animal products as a clarifying agent, you can safely add it to your vegan diet without issue. If you want to know which ones to avoid, you should look for brands that use non-vegan clarifiers.

These will include things like casein (a milk protein), gelatin (which is an animal protein), albumin (egg white), and isinglass fish gelatin (fish bladder protein).

The specific Prosecco brands that are safe for vegan diets are as follows:

• Giol Prosecco Frizzante
• San Leo Prosecco
• Proudly Vegan

Any one of these is perfectly fine for vegans. But if you’re ever unsure, just remember to check the label to see what the manufacturer used in the production. Any time you see things like gelatin or casein, you know to steer clear, as they are animal products.

Other brands have gone to great lengths to minimize or even eliminate animal products from the manufacturing process. InBev, for example, stopped using glues made with casein several years ago. The glues were initially used to secure the label to the bottle.

But today, InBev strives to limit the use of animal products and instead opts for vegan-friendly alternatives.

Is Prosecco a Good Choice for Vegans?

We believe that it is. Prosecco may only offer limited options when it comes to vegan wines, but what’s here is most excellent. We’re quite fond of the flavors and effects that these wines present. And for the price, it’s a nice bargain.

Sure, you can spend more and get a better experience. But we’re happy with what Prosecco offers. If you’re new to wine, we encourage you to give these vegan options a try. Start out with the most affordable option and work your way up if you’re fond of what Prosecco has to offer.

We hope you found this guide helpful. Remember, as long as you check the label, you can be certain that what you’re buying is vegan-friendly.

For more vegan-related news on various products and foods, we encourage you to check out our Info page here. We cover restaurants, ingredients, and more.

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