{"id":3091,"date":"2020-11-10T18:57:45","date_gmt":"2020-11-10T18:57:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/?post_type=is_it_vegan&p=3091"},"modified":"2020-12-21T09:21:30","modified_gmt":"2020-12-21T09:21:30","slug":"port-sherry-and-fortified-wine","status":"publish","type":"is_it_vegan","link":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/is-it-vegan\/port-sherry-and-fortified-wine\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Port, Sherry, & Other Fortified Wines Vegan?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FortifiedIt could be said we are somewhat partial to odd drink at VeganFriendly and in these unpredictable times we think the desire to have a drink is pretty understandable (no matter when you read this, we\u2019re confident \u201cthese times\u201d will still be unpredictable\u2026 and drink-worthy). We\u2019ve looked at vegan Champagne<\/a>, vegan beer<\/a> and a host of other tasty intoxicating beverages and now it is the turn of fortified wines, such as port and sherry.<\/p>\n

A fortified wine is a wine that has had a distilled spirit (and, oh yes, we\u2019ve got info on vegan wine<\/a> and vegan spirits<\/a> too!) added to it to make it stronger, to \u201cfortify\u201d it. This spirit is often \u2013 but not always \u2013 brandy and fortified wines include Italian marsala, Portuguese Madeira and port, and sherry from Spain. So, we know what fortified wine is, but the key question for vegans is: are fortified wines vegan?<\/p>\n

The answer, as with most alcoholic beverages and certainly most wines, is that it varies. Read on as we take a closer look why this is the case, as well as listing some of the ports and sherries that are definitely vegan, as well as some of the bottles to avoid. Oh, hopefully it goes without saying, but just in case: please drink responsibly (and only if you\u2019re 18 or over in the UK).<\/p>\n

Why Are Some Ports & Sherries Not Vegan?<\/h2>\n
\"Port
SoniaBonet \/ Bigstockphoto.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The main, if not only reason, why some fortified wines, be they ports, sherries or anything else, are not vegan, is because they have been filtered using animal derivatives. You can read more about this filtration, or fining as it is technically know, in our aforementioned article about wine.<\/p>\n

Isinglass & Other Problematic Ingredients<\/h3>\n

To summarise what we have said there (and also in our articles about other vegan drinks), a range of animal products and derivatives have traditionally been used to filter alcoholic drinks. One of the most common is called isinglass, which is made from the swim bladders of fish. Others include:<\/p>\n