Grape Spy: Jean Smullen

2020 Freemans Bay €8.99

Vegan wines are filtered without using animal products as a filter, such as those derived from eggs, fish or even meat (gelatine). A vegan wine producer instead uses a natural clay called Bentonite to filter the wine so that they are clear and bright. Many of the wines in the Aldi wine range are vegan including this lovely Sauvignon Blanc from the Marlborough region of New Zealand’s South Island. A lovely fresh, crisp white with tons of citrus fruit flavours. Enjoy this with a salad made from kale and green beans.

2019 Lebanese Red €10.99

Another vegan wine, this time from Lebanon. This outstanding red wine is made from a blend of four French grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Cinsault and Carignan grown in the warm Mediterranean climate of the Bekka Valley . It has lots of ripe red and black summer fruit aromas, when tasting you find red cherry matched with plum flavours and a touch of spice with a smoky chocolate finish. Try this with roast cauliflower served in a rich mushroom sauce, the perfect vegetarian dish to match with a full bodied red wine like this.

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