Cameron Diaz and Katherine Power have launched a new vegan wine brand called Avaline with the promise of transparency in every bottle. But what makes wine not vegan?
Wine is the perfect accessory to any season, meal or occasion. A glass of this chilled drink will never be out of fashion, but the process of making wine that includes additives might be done for. Cameron Diaz has teamed up with Katherine Power to introduce vegan, “clean” wine brand Avaline that redefines the production of wine as we know it.
Vegan wine might not seem hard to find, but there’s a catch. During production, wine is filtered through ‘fining agents’, which can be animal-derived, such as isinglass (made from dried fish swim bladders), egg whites, a milk protein called casein, bone marrow or gelatin.
As wine is only being filtered through these, you are not able to find them listed on the ingredient label. But don’t give up on your favourite glass just yet, as there are also fining agents that are vegan.
According to PETA, carbon, bentonite clay, limestone, kaolin clay, plant casein, silica gel and vegetable plaques are all safe substitutes. Fortunately for the vegan community, the cruelty-free wine market is booming and vegan wines are easier to find.
The latest addition to the selection of cruelty-free wines is the brand Avaline created by the wellness author and former actor, Cameron Diaz, and entrepreneur Katherine Power.
“I enjoyed wine for many-a-year and never questioned it. Not once,” says Diaz. “I actually figured it was the most responsible alcohol choice because it was made with fermented grapes. But I had no idea of the process.
“We soon learned it wasn’t what you added, it’s what you didn’t add.”
Diaz and Power sat down in the garden with a glass of wine, and “as the wine started to flow, so did the conversation”. They were aware of all the contents of everything they put in their bodies, except wine.
In 2018, the duo started their journey of wine and truth, trying to explore all the unknown questions about the wine-making process and the industry.
After finding all the answers, they launched their company with white wine and rosé and a promise of “transparency on each label”.
“Winemakers are legally required to disclose very little about their wines. There’s no obligation to tell you how their grapes are grown or to name any of the more than 70 additives that are used in the winemaking process to alter the taste and colour,” reads the Avaline website.
Avaline wants to change this and bring the wine industry to a “higher standard” through transparency.
Power says: “We learned most wine is not made with organic grapes and that it can be manipulated with over 70 additives. This completely changed the way we thought about it. One of our main goals is to increase the prevalence of clean wine in the market, making it available where our consumer is already shopping.”
The foundation of Avaline wine lies in organic grapes, which are farmed without pesticides in certified organic vineyards in Spain and France fermented with vegan-friendly products.
Diaz and Power promise a clean and delicious experience “free of sugars, colours and concentrates”.
Avaline White is a dry crisp wine that comes from Spain. Avaline recommends combining this wine with fresh-cut flowers and your favourite meal.
Avaline Rosé is a lighter and fresher version of its sibling with undertones of melon and zest, and comes from France. “It pairs well with the warmth of the sun and the company of your best friend,” says Avaline’s website.
Both wines are available for $24 at select retailers in 43 states plus the District of Columbia and online.
Diaz adds: “We made Avaline with the spirit of friendship as well as for the quiet moments that we all take for ourselves. What we’ve all seen and felt during this time is that we all still have the need and instinct to connect and also learn in new ways how to be alone together.
“We are so happy to be able to contribute to those moments and give our drinkers the peace of mind that they are drinking a wine that holds their values.”
