Lock, stock and wine barrel: Spier gets Control Union Vegan Standard certification

There are a number of wine estates with vegan wines, famous ones include Hemel-and Aarde’s Creation – but last week, Spier became the first winery to receive Control Union Vegan Standard certification by the accredited certifying body.

The vegan-friendly seal comes a short time after Spier released its latest range of wines, Seaward. With Seaward, Creative Block, 21 Gables and the Frans K Smit ranges will feature a vegan-friendly seal from the 2019 vintage onwards for white wines in those ranges and the 2018 vintages for reds. Veganism has seen a continued rise and as a global wine-making power, it is wise for South Africa to include itself in this sort of wine-making philosophy.

“This vegan certification not only demonstrates our commitment to a greener, animal-friendly future; it also means that vegan drinkers can now enjoy our wines,” says Frans Smit, Spier’s cellar master.

Reasons to opt for vegan wines include carbon footprint reduction and the protection of animals. In order to make wines clear and bright, many wineries use animal-derived fining agents. The most popular of these are casein (a milk protein), albumin (egg whites), gelatin (animal protein) and isinglass (fish bladder protein).

During the wine-making process, harmless organic particles that make the wine cloudy (including protein and yeast molecules) become attached to the fining agent and sink, making it easy for them to be removed – and for the wine to become clear. Because tiny traces of the fining agent may be absorbed into the wine, the wines that use animal-derived fining agents are not considered vegan.

Alternatives that have no animal by-products include activated charcoal, bentonite or clay-based fining agents – which Spier is now using instead of other proteins.

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