Photos via Steph Wallcraft.
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How can wine not be vegan? Isn’t it just grape juice in a bottle?

Not exactly. There’s a lot that goes into winemaking, including external products that are used for fining and filtering. This can be anything from egg whites to milk proteins or other animal by-products.

Karlo Estates, in the southeastern section of Prince Edward County, offers an alternative. The winery uses fully vegan production practices, from fining with clay to sticking the labels on with vegan glue and printing with vegetable-based inks. Food service is fully vegan as well, featuring plant-based cheeses and locally produced hummus and other dips and spreads.
(Full disclosure: your writer is not vegan but does have celiac disease, so having gluten-free and dairy-free food options is sincerely appreciated!)
Karlo Estates wines also receive the Vegecert certification as proof of this commitment.

We enjoyed our samples in the indoor tasting room seated next to a fireplace while seated on plush red velvet couches. The staff are very helpful and knowledgeable — oh, and the wine is great and reasonably priced, too. Whether you’re vegan yourself or just curious about whether vegan practices make a difference in the flavour of your favourite type of wine, Karlo Estates is well worth a visit on your next tour through Prince Edward County.

2021 Three Witches

$24.00, at the winery or online at karloestates.com

Though all of the County is close in climate and soil composition to the Burgundy region of France, it’s the pours that fall outside the Pinot-and-Chardonnay box that stand out at Karlo. This blend of Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon blanc, and Pinot gris is very easy-drinking and light with refreshing flavours of lychee and citrus along with an undertone of tropical fruits.
Score: 7.5/10

2019 Malbec

$39.00, at the winery or online at karloestates.com

Malbec is a warm-climate grape that’s not often found in cooler locales like Canada. The only two acres of Malbec vines in the County are located on Karlo’s estate. It fills the palate with flavours of black fruits, and chocolate with a light smokiness. It presents with firm but mild tannins that let it stand up to a variety of rich foods and make this a unique expression of this popular grape that stands out over its warm-climate contemporaries.
Score: 8.5/10

Steph is a successful, established freelance writer and has been a wine aficionado for more than two decades. Connect with her on Twitter and Instagram.
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