Vegan food is not just for vegans, and, with plenty of added umami flavours, you may be surprised by the variety of dishes you can create; not to mention the quality of vegan wines to accompany them.

Wine uses fining agents to clarify wine and the two main agents are egg whites for red wine (albumen) and milk protein for white wine (casein). It is important to remember they are processing agents, not additives, so they won’t be clearly listed on a label and generally they are removed, although there will always be traces left.

With the rise of veganism, along with an increased desire for organic and bio-dynamic wines, winemakers across the world are taking note and adopting a more natural approach. If wines are left to develop completely naturally, they will usually self-fine, reducing the need to introduce animal products into the process. For the wines that don’t self-fine, there are alternative fining agents available for winemakers, including clay-based methods.

However, unlike vegan food where even avocados are out due to the forced movement of bees to pollinate them, vegan wine does not follow the same strict rules.

Two of the leading vegan wine companies are Spoke from New Zealand and Yalumba wines from Australia – top wines that also happen to be vegan.

Ben Glover from Spoke is one of New Zealand’s leading environmentally friendly winemakers, working with nature and climate to produce wines of exceptional quality. Yalumba, based in Angaston, South Australia and still family-owned through several generations, dates back to 1894 and epitomises all that is great about Australian wine.

Spoke Awatere Sauvignon Blanc 2022

Paired with sweetcorn ribs, coconut and sesame oil.
Forget the cliched ‘cat’s pee’ New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc; this is much more like a Sancerre from France. It is bright, fresh elegant and clean cut, with aromatics of white peaches and hints of gooseberry with lemon and lime zest. The raw corn on the cob is sliced down the middle, marinated in coconut and sesame oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and then glazed for five minutes on the BBQ. Throw some fresh herbs on top to enhance the experience.

Spoke Brink Sauvignon/Semillon 2022

Paired with charred leeks, and pistachio and coriander chutney.
Fabulously textured wine, the freshness from the Sauvignon combines with the textured creamy Semillon. There are notes of lemon grass, white peaches, and lanolin. The chutney is easy to make: combine two bunches of coriander including the stems, 100g/3½oz pistachios, two green chillies, a tablespoon of olive oil, a bunch of garlic chives and two squeezed limes.

This is such a simple dish to prepare, but make sure the leeks are not too big; the smaller they are the sweeter they are. Marinade in olive oil and sea salt, then straight on the BBQ till you have a good char colour to the leeks. Serve with the chutney.  

Spoke Amped Chardonnay 2022

Paired with roast celeriac with Perigord truffles and soy & shallot dressing.
Think Chablis. Crisp apple, fresh stone fruit and refreshingly moreish.  Wash/brush the whole celeriac (do not peel) and rub with a solution of olive oil and salt. If you do not have any fresh truffles to hand, substitute with truffle oil. Barbecue with the lid on for an hour. Allow the celeriac to char on the outside, pull off the heat, slice off the top and pierce holes into the root with skewers. Then fill with olive oil and salt or truffle oil. Or if you’re feeling generous, grate fresh truffles on top of the celeriac. Serve with gently cooked shallots with soy sauce and chopped parsley added.

Oxford Landing Merlot 2021

Paired with BBQ red cabbage, Asian spices, wild garlic and chilli chutney, raisins and balsamic vinegar.
This luscious Merlot is full of ripe fruit. Red cherries ooze off the palate, followed by juicy plums and a velvety silky finish. Wrap the red cabbage in greaseproof paper and then foil. Pour a handful of golden raisins on top, together with a good glug of balsamic vinegar, a dash of soy sauce, bay leaf and salt, and seal the foil. Bake in the BBQ for one hour then allow to rest. As you carve the whole red cabbage, watch the bloody red juices ooze from the ‘roast’.

Yalumba Galway Shiraz 2021

Paired with Jerusalem artichoke skewers, rosemary and garlic oil.
Blackberries and vanilla spice, fresh and vibrant, luscious and warming, this is a wine full of excitement. Jerusalem artichokes do take time to cook so give then a good scrub, but do not peel. Then boil for 20 minutes prior to chilling, before placing in a plastic bag filled with chopped garlic, rosemary, sea salt and olive oil with some lemon rind. Finally, place on a skewer and throw on to the flames.

Yalumba Organic Viognier 2022

Paired with aubergine/eggplant Madras, mango chutney and coconut cream.
This Viognier is aromatic with a fragrant herbaceous nose. On the palate think honeysuckle, fennel and apricot. These nectar flavours combine into a silky, succulent, juicy wine, perfect for spiced food. Cut the aubergine/eggplant in half and then take out as much of the core as you can, looking to leave the shell perfectly shaped. Chop up the aubergine/eggplant core, combining with finely chopped garlic, ginger, shallots and sweet red peppers. Cook with curry spices for 20 minutes in olive oil and add chopped vine tomatoes, coriander and coconut. Place back into the aubergine shells and roast on the barbecue.