Going vegetarian and maintaining a healthy lifestyle deems a difficult task to do. You need to understand that when you are already a vegan or someone who wants to start a vegan lifestyle, you are going to eliminate all the unhealthy foods you eat and go green entirely. Aside from that, you must also understand the different types of fruits and vegetables you must eat daily, including the right volume.
According to a study conducted by a magazine that specializes in lifestyle, they stated that around three percent of Americans follow a vegetarian manner of living. That means they do not consume any meat or animal products, and they purely go green. Aside from that, the beverages they intake also comes with chemical-free elements, and everything is organic.
In the course of following a vegan diet, you might also think the wines you can drink are all organic and vegan. Most people believe this because wines come from a series of grape varietals; however, you also need to understand that some elements added to it are extracted from animals or even seafood. Hence, if you are dedicated to choosing a vegan diet and choosing vegan wines for your drink, here are simple tips you can follow when you pair the right vegan wines along with your vegan dishes.
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Realize That Not All Wines Are Vegan
As stated above, you might get the impression that all wines are made from different grape varietals. Well, the main ingredient of most wines is indeed grapes. However, you have to understand that before a bottle of wine is bottled, it undergoes a process called fermentation. In this stage, there are some chemicals added to make sure that wine preserves their taste, and some can exist for a more extended time. Thus, this will serve as your clue that not all wines may suit a vegan diet.
Besides, during the fermentation process, a stage called fining takes place. During this stage, there are various fining agents added to the wine to make sure that tannins, proteins, and other elements are present, which is also responsible in producing the real flavor of the wine as it aged. Most wineries also sell young wines, and they make sure they add the right amount of fining agents to taste as if it’s aged for years. Take note that these fining agents mostly came from animal products, and they are as follows:
- Fish proteins
- Milk proteins
- Shell fiber from crustaceans
- Egg whites
- Gelatin content which came from bones and hooves of an animal
Find A Vegan-Friendly Wine Brand
The previous tip shows you the fining agents that may be added to a bottle of wine upon fermentation. Take note that if a wine contains one of these fining agents, they are no longer called vegan wines. If you ultimately want to achieve a vegan diet, you have to look for vegan-friendly wines. When you go to a fine wine merchant such as sokolin.com, vegan wines are labeled as organic, and these are perfect brands you should pick.
A wine is purely organic and vegan if, during the fining process, they contain either carbon or clay that acts as fining agents. In that case, they are the ones working in removing the cloudiness of the wine product like what fining agents do. Also, some wineries offer unfiltered and pure wine in which you can ensure that it is purely made from grapes.
Perceive How Each Wine Element Can Affect Vegan Food Pairing
Most of the time, people believe the vegan wine and food pairing may not come interesting at all because the best flavors are achieved when meaty flavors of wine do the right job. Sometimes, they may also see it as a hard task to take because it is difficult to find a pure vegan wine label.
On the other hand, the only key when you pair a vegan diet with a vegan wine is understanding the sweetness of each organic wine you pick. Make sure that you perceive the taste of the dish you are serving to foresee the generosity of the wine you will choose.
Match Your Food Flavors With Your Wine Flavors
Another factor that you also need to consider when you pair vegan wines and foods must be the flavor. You have to understand that even they are vegan wines, they also come in various flavors, type, and body. By making sure that the taste of the organic wine matches your vegan diet, then you are heading the right way of food and wine pairing job.
Make A Wine Journal
If you seriously want to follow a vegan food and wine pairing lifestyle, the best way you can do is to- make a journal and tally all your success in selecting the right wine options. It will help you in creating a pattern of maintaining a vegan lifestyle throughout the time you want it. Aside from that, it will serve as your guide so that the next time you pair a vegan dish with organic wine, you won’t have a hard time looking for one.
Author’s Bio:
Scarlett Wells is also an expert in the food industry. Her expertise and skills about food and beverage pairing have helped her in becoming an effective mentor inspiring everyone to maintain a fit and fab lifestyle.