Ask a Sommelier

Why isn’t all wine vegan?

—Jen Wilson

The filtering process is the main reason that not all wine is vegetarian or vegan. Filtering the wine provides a clear, stable, and consumer-friendly product, but wine has particles that are microscopic and can pass through these filters. On a chemical level, the wine needs either a lot of time before bottling (often really impractical) or help in removing those microscopic particles that would otherwise spoil it later. Fining agents such as casein (a milk protein), albumin (egg whites), gelatin (animal protein), and isinglass (fish bladder protein) can be used to fine/filter the wines. The fining agents are used to pull certain particles from the wine and then they are removed from the wine (you are not drinking fish bladder, I promise). This is where some wines do not meet the standards for a vegan diet.

Many wineries are starting to indicate they are vegan on the back of the bottle, and we have a full list of vegan wines that any of our Sommeliers can help you with. I recommend you start with the following: from California, Farmhouse 2018 Red Blend ($19.99); from Alsace, France, Zinck 2016 Pinot Gris ($26.99); and two options from Australia, River Retreat 2019 Shiraz ($13.99) and Majella 2016 The Musician Cabernet Shiraz from Coonawarra ($25.99).

—Ricki-Lee Podolecki

We have used breathable wine glasses for years and swear they make our wine taste better. We have experimented with varietal glasses as well and found that the wine definitely tastes different in the proper varietal glass compared to just any old wine glass. Do breathable and varietal glasses make a difference?

—Jodi Candaele

Excellent question, Jodi! Yes indeed, proper glassware certainly does make a huge difference. Whether you choose a breathable glass or a varietally specific glass (i.e., made specifically for Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc), these are made to enhance the nuances of that particular wine perfectly. The way the glass is blown, the quality of the glass used, and the shape of the glass are all designed specifically for that particular style and structure of wine.

We always suggest a fun little experiment: open your favourite bottle of wine, pour some into a regular, rolled rimmed, run-of-the-mill wine glass (or even a tumbler!), then pour that same wine into a breathable and/or varietally specific glass. Swirl, smell, then sip the wine from the regular wine glass. Note how the wine smells and tastes specifically. Then swirl, smell, and sip from the other high-end glass—you’ll notice a huge difference. The nose will be that much more expressive, and the flavours and complexity of the wine will be elevated. You won’t believe it’s the same wine! And for that reason alone, no matter if you drink a $15 bottle or a $150 bottle, those glasses made with a tailored design will take your wine experience to a whole different level.

—Jill Kwiatkoski

We are currently drinking so many blends from France. They are some of the best wines we have ever had. Grenache Syrah Mourvèdre, for example, or Carignan blended with the above mentioned as well as Cabernet and Merlot. Why are they so underrated in North America?

—Brian Smith

The very notion of the blend is fairly misunderstood in our market. Despite the fact that many of the great wines of the world—with the exceptions of, say, Barolo, Burgundy, and premium Riesling, among others—are blends of more than one grape, consumers have been conned by the cult of the single variety.

A single grape on a label is easily understood. It’s how many of us shop, because we’ve been conditioned by the big “New World Wines” machine: Aussie became synonymous with Shiraz, and California with Cabernet Sauvignon, very powerfully, thanks to the success of those grapes and the marketing behind them. Add to that the somewhat classist notion that blends—such as Apothic and its many imitators—are “cheap” or “lowbrow” wines, and you’ve got a recipe for a major misunderstanding of the blend.

Thankfully for those in the know, blends from the south of France especially are pure bang-for-your-buck goodness: crushable, often medium in body, with less overt oak and at a great price (many on our shelves are under $20!). For a great place to start, I recommend one of our top-selling reds: Claude Val 2018 Rouge Pays d’Oc, France ($13.99)—a blend of Grenache, Carignan, Syrah, and Merlot, or from Languedoc, France, Laurent Miquel 2017 L’Artisan ($18.99)—Syrah and Grenache, with zero oak. For a South African twist on a Rhone Valley tradition, try Juno 2019 SMV from the Western Cape ($17.99)—a blend of Shiraz, Mourvèdre, and Viognier.

—Rob Stansel

QUESTIONS FOR OUR SOMMELIERS? TEXT (9 AM-9 PM): 204.400.0499 @JONESWINEMERCHANTS @JONESMERCH1