Unless a wine specifically states on the bottle that it is suitable for vegetarians, then it is probably safe to assume it is not indeed suitable.
Although vegetarian wines are becoming more and more common, the vast majority of wines are made using clarifiers which may be made from gelatine or isinglass.
Gelatine is the substance which is a 'glue' type substance found at the bottom of the spine in cows and is also derived from the skin and tissue of pigs.
Isinglass is derived from the bladder of the sturgeon fish and so again is not suitable for vegetarians.
Whilst vegetarians often read the listing of the ingredients, gelatine and isinglass will not appear on the ingredients list. This is because they are used as clarifiers in the process of making wine and they actually sink to the bottom of the tank where the wine is stored and then removed. They are not put into the bottle. This is why they are not listed as ingredients and people sometimes assume that wine is vegetarian !
Although vegetarian wines are becoming more and more common, the vast majority of wines are made using clarifiers which may be made from gelatine or isinglass.
Gelatine is the substance which is a 'glue' type substance found at the bottom of the spine in cows and is also derived from the skin and tissue of pigs.
Isinglass is derived from the bladder of the sturgeon fish and so again is not suitable for vegetarians.
Whilst vegetarians often read the listing of the ingredients, gelatine and isinglass will not appear on the ingredients list. This is because they are used as clarifiers in the process of making wine and they actually sink to the bottom of the tank where the wine is stored and then removed. They are not put into the bottle. This is why they are not listed as ingredients and people sometimes assume that wine is vegetarian !