Vienna Veggie Wine Culture Network
coordinated by the VWCN Vienna
Celebrating every 1. Friday a month ethical hedonism.
May of 2014 the VWCN Vienna was covered on two pages in the most prestigious Austrian wine column.
Supporting Veggie Wine Culture - because uninteresting wine lists should no longer an excuse for not visiting a vegan / vegetarian restaurant! More about the academic discourses of Philosophy of Wine at University of Vienna.
The primary meeting point for the Vienna section is the vegetarian restaurant Landia.at in the 7th district of Vienna. The official tastings happen there every 1. Friday evening a month - except January. VWCN cooperats with the BioweinVerkostung.at, there you find online more information about the tastings. Email contact[at]topvegetarianrestaurants[dot]net or direct erwin.lengauer[at]univie.ac[dot]at Please see also the international network partner vegandrinks.org
Aims of the Wine-Culture.net
Central aim of the Wine-Culture.net is to encourage the establishment of new Veggie Wine Culture sections in cooperation with vegetarian restaurants. A lot of inspiration we received from the International Wine & Food Society (IW&FS) which is the world’s oldest and most renowned gastronomic society.
Since 2000 the Wine-Culture.net selects a list of specially recommended organic - vegan - wineries from Austria, France, Italy, Portugal and Spain.
Another central aim of the Wine-Culture.net is to provide in future more professional information about recommended vegetarian restaurants and their (organic) wine lists.
The classifications is defined by an international team, based in Vienna. The Wine-Culture.net classifications in a 5 * stars begin with “Starter” and “Basic” and go on to “Advanced” through to “Premium” and “Superior”.
The Wine-Culture.net not only assists guests in establishing the quality of a restaurant, but also provides restaurants with an excellent opportunity of presenting themselves in the market whilst at the same time promoting (organic) european wines.
This initiative reflects how the high expectations of gourmets / hedonists and the high standards of a modern sustainable diet complement one another perfectly.
Additional the Wine-Culture.net will provide information about the different aspects of “vegetarian and vegan Wine”
The basic reference article is still Robinson, Jancis (Ed.) 2006. The Oxford Companion to Wine, 3. Edition. Oxford, Oxford University Press – where you find at page 729 the following entry: “vegetarian and vegan wines are increasingly requested by consumers. The main area of concern is the use of animal-based products for FINING and STABILIZING wine.
Of the five most common agents, only BENTONITE is suitable for vegans as well as vegetarians; CASEIN and albumin (see EGG WHITES) are acceptable to most vegetarians; ISINGLASS and GELATIN would be unacceptable to most vegetarians and vegans. Although such materials are processing aids rather than additives, it is impossible to guarantee that there is absolutely no residue in the wine and some wine drinkers may object to the actual use of an animal-derived project. Some winemakers and retailers have started to make this information available on the bottle or at the point of sale. See also LABELLING INFORMATION.”
Further information:
August 30, 2008 Jane MacQuitty published in The Times the article:
Vegan wines. Once cranky, now mainstream, vegan and vegetarian-approved wines are increasingly being sought by drinkers, including Times readers.
At last a funny veg wine article printed in the San Francisco Chronicle / Michelle Locke, 2010.04.25 These winemakers love grapes, not meat. http://sfgate.com
Continuous information about vegan / vegetarian wine offer the online database/guide: http://barnivore.com
Also in Britain the two leading organic wine retailers www.vinceremos.co.uk and www.vintageroots.co.uk
See also the wine clubs viva.org.uk/wineshop and www.animalaidshop.org.uk/wine
