It's no secret that more us are trying to lead a vegan lifestyle. Back in May 2016, The Vegan Society said that 542,000 people in the UK were vegan, and that number has surely increased since then. It's been estimated that around 50,000 people are doing Veganuary this month. Meanwhile, others are simply trying to eat and drink more ethically and mindfully whenever they can.
So it's awesome to report that one UK supermarket chain, the Co-Op, has announced plans to improve its range of vegan wines. According to The Guardian, the Co-op is aiming to stock 100 vegan wine products by the end of the year, with eight new vegan wines due to hit shelves in February.
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Though grapes are obviously totally OK for vegans to consume, some products used during the wine-making process may not be. Substances called "finings" or "fining agents" are used to filter wine and improve its flavour, and some of these are made from animal products. Gelatin and egg albumen, a product derived from egg whites, are two popular types of fining agent.
However, as PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) notes, a wide range of vegan fining agents is also available, and the Co-Op is encouraging its suppliers to embrace them. The chain's wines category trading manager Simon Cairns told The Guardian: "We are anticipating vegan wines to pick up momentum throughout 2018, so our range will be expanding throughout the year and we will continue to challenge suppliers to make wines vegan where they can without affecting the attributes of the liquid."
So, let's rise a glass of vegan pinot to that.
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