Happy Holidays everyone! I know this is a strange year to be celebrating, but all the more reason to bring some joy into your life. And by joy I mean a multitude of vegan wines and gifts for both yourself and loved ones.
I hope this guide gives you a good place to start, but if you need any more recommendations just reach out! Please remember to shop small this season if you can, since many independent businesses could use the support now more than ever. Note: These are wines and products which can be found in the United States. If you live internationally, restrictions may apply.
Best Value Under $100
Sans Wine Co. Variety Pack ($67)
Who says great vegan wine has to come in a bottle? Sans Wine Co. has been putting high-quality organic, vegan and naturally made wines into cans since 2015, and founders Jake Stover and Gina Schober are truly pioneers in the field. It’s still rare to see either single vineyard or vintage wines in a can and in some cases they’ve done both. The wines are exceptionally distinct in flavor and a treat any night of the week. Although rumor has it some wine bottles may be coming soon, the can form proves incredibly light and versatile for outings without compromising quality.
This six can variety pack includes their Rosé Bubbles, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Rosé, Zinfandel and Carbonic Carignan. Even the case it comes in is eco-friendly, making it the perfect gift for the environmentally-conscious vegan in your life. Note: Each can is half a bottle’s worth so this is equivalent to three bottles of wine.
Donkey & Goat Holiday Cheer Pack ($99)
This winery makes some of the best natural wines in California, and this set is a great place to start for any vegan/natural wine lover! It includes their popular orange wine, the 2019 Ramato Pinot Gris, the elegant 2018 Eliza Barsotti Vineyard white blend and crowd-pleaseing 2018 Carignane for a well-rounded trio.
They have a bunch of other great gift sets as well (my personal choice would be the Bubbles Galore), and if you can spring for the wood gift box definitely do. Pay attention to the shipping deadlines because it’s better to be safe than sorry!
For the Bubbles Lover
Stuyvesant Champagne Rose & Grand Reserve Brut Combo ($121)
I discovered Stuyvesant when researching producers for the 21 Black-Owned Wineries with Vegan Wines post, and am so glad I did! Founded by Marvina Robinson, the wine was originally created to be the house label at her new Champagne bar and was named after her hometown in Brooklyn. You can also shop single bottles or larger cases, but I think this duo is a great place to start for the vegan Champagne lover.
Note: There may be shipping delays due to popularity, so order ASAP if you’re interested!
Champagne Rendez-Vous Trio ($165)
It can be tough to find organic, vegan-friendly Premier Cru Champagne but these three bottles hit the mark! Newly launched by Fiona and Jean-Michel, the wines go through an extended aging process for four to five years until they are ready to be released and enjoyed. With minimal residual sugar and sulfites, they’re also a little easier on your body than other sparkling wines can be. Even their packaging is sustainably thought through.
Plus it’s only $1 to ship the whole set (almost) nationwide. This one is high on my own list and and will be a brand to watch in the coming years!
For the Vegan Foodie
Vegan Wines Artisan Cashew Cheese & Wine Pairing Bundle ($125)
Three vegan wines paired with three vegan cheeses shipped to your door for only $125? Sign us up! This set includes the 2017 Pandolfi Larkun Chardonnay, 2016 OWM Contao Tempranillo Cabernet Franc and 2018 Aerea Gamay Pure in addition to the Baby Blue, Chipper Cheddar and Fig and Fennel cheeses from Wendy’s Vegan Kitchen. The cheeses are all organic and plant-based, made from cashews and kosher certified.
The Vegan Wines team not only has a variety of other vegan wine bundles perfect for gift-giving, but a quarterly wine club for discovering new vegan producers as well.
For The Red Wine Drinker
2015 Okapi Cabernet Sauvignon ($100)
Nothing says holiday spirit like a bottle of estate-grown, Napa Valley Cabernet! This vintage received 99 Points in the East Meets West Wine Competition as well as a Double Gold Medal in the San Francisco Chronicle’s International Wine Tasting. It’s a very limited production wine—only 117 cases were made in total—making it the perfect unique gift for the vegan red wine enthusiast.
Here’s the tasting note from the winery: “A powerhouse Napa Cab that’s light on its feet. Aromas of melted chocolate, raspberry sauce, vanilla bean, blackberry pie, cinnamon apples, garden roses, Kalamata olives, and caramel. The palate opens rich and silky. Ultra lush velvety vanilla, dark chocolate, juicy black cherries. Impeccably balanced. A tightly wound, muscular beast. Best decanted. Drink 2020-2039.”
They also have the 2016 vintage of the same wine available for the same price, which should be equally stunning. Plus if you’re shipping straight to the recipient you can pay to have it specially gift-wrapped!
For the White Wine Drinker
The Two Shepherds philosophy is, “Old World, Minimalist, Natural, Small Lots,” and we are here for all of it. They not only take great care in the minimal-intervention winemaking process, but hold back vintages to be released when the wine’s drinking best. This set of six white wines—two each of their 2019 Vermentino, 2016 Grenache Blanc and 2014 Pastoral Blanc—is a great place to start for vegan winos open to unique expressions of each.
They also have a red wine bundle including three bottles for $99, or my personal favorite the skin-contact bundle including four bottles for $122.
For the Book Worm
The One-Straw Revolution by Mansanobu Fukuoka ($15)
If the vegan in your life has chosen their diet in part to reduce their impact on the environment, then this one’s for them! While not specifically about wine, it’s a great place to start for those looking to learn more about sustainable farming and living.
The book description notes, “Trained as a scientist, Fukuoka rejected both modern agribusiness and centuries of agricultural practice, deciding instead that the best forms of cultivation mirror nature’s own laws. Over the next three decades he perfected his so-called “do-nothing” technique: commonsense, sustainable practices that all but eliminate the use of pesticides, fertilizer, tillage, and perhaps most significantly, wasteful effort.
Whether you’re a guerrilla gardener or a kitchen gardener, dedicated to slow food or simply looking to live a healthier life, you will find something here—you may even be moved to start a revolution of your own.”
For the Natural Wine Geek
Broc Cellars Winter Table ($175)
The team at Broc Cellars bundled this to pair with holiday foods, but in all honesty it’s a slam-dunk no matter the occasion. A mix of varieties and wine styles, they’re known for making some of the best natural wines in the Bay Area and this set is sure to showcase that. They ferment all their wines spontaneously and do zero additions, only including a small amount of additional sulfur if any. The low-alcohol, balanced style makes their wines not only easy drinking but incredibly food-friendly.
This set includes their 2019 Sparkling Valdiguié, 2019 Lagrein Rosé, 2019 Vine Starr Zinfandel, 2018 Love Red, 2019 Nero D’Avola and 2017 Counoise. It’s a limited time offer, so get it while you can!
For the Activist
Lepe Cellars Unity Through Wine Red Blend ($20)
Winemaker Miguel Lepe of Lepe Cellars makes some stellar vegan wines and launched this label in July to support social justice and equality work. 80% of all sales are donated to an organization which empowers the under-represented and this year they’re going towards Color of Change.
Here is the winemaker’s note: “The wine is medium garnet and well clarified in the glass. On the nose there are definitive notes of clove, cassis, fresh blueberry jam, and summer bramble. In an elevated manner, there are high-tones of thyme oil and eucalyptus bark that dance atop the bramble and spice. The palate is lush and fruit generous with blackberry crumble, baking cinnamon-sugar pie crust, and a linger of browned butter and toffee. The structure is completely balanced and bright – expected for a cool climate Cabernet Sauvignon that is defined by soft tannins and energetic acid.
Given the energy of the wine, I suggest drinking from now until Spring of 2022 to preserve the structural integrity. Should you be so inclined to indulge, I would pair this wine with grilled lamb kabobs or portabella mushroom burgers. This wine would be best served close to 60 degrees F, opened 30 minutes prior to serving, and consumed within 8 hours of opening.”
For the Picky Ones
Primal Wine Gift Card ($50 to $200)
Primal Wine offers one of the most robust vegan single bottle selections online in the US market, so if it’s options for your loved one you’re after this is a slam dunk. They also offer a variety of wine club options which ship monthly and can be cancelled at any time.
P.S. – If you’re still not really sure what vegan wine is, they have this great description on their website!
Bottle Barn Gift Card ($10 to $500)
Send a loved one a gift certificate to shop a curated list of vegan-friendly wines to be picked up in Santa Rosa, California or shipped (almost) nationwide. This is a small, family-owned business that’s been around since 1990 in the heart of Sonoma County wine country and offers a great selection for vegans and non-vegans alike. Disclaimer: I am part of the team at Bottle Barn, but that doesn’t make our online vegan-friendly section any less wonderful!
What are you getting the vegan or vegetarian wine lover in your life this year? Let me know in the comments!
Product images all courtesy of the winery or retailer’s website.
DEYOUNG VINE 