Does Wine Have Dairy in It? The Surprising Truth for Your Diet

November 10, 2025 •

4 min read

While the main ingredients in wine—grapes and yeast—are entirely dairy-free, a lesser-known step in the production process can introduce milk proteins. This means the answer to "does wine have dairy in it?" is not as simple as you might think for individuals with dairy allergies, lactose intolerance, or those following a vegan diet.

Quick Summary

This guide explains the winemaking process, revealing how dairy-derived casein is sometimes used as a fining agent for clarification. Learn how to identify wines that are suitable for dairy-free and vegan diets, exploring labeling conventions and alternative clarification methods.

Key Points

Casein as a Fining Agent: The milk protein casein is sometimes used by winemakers to clarify and stabilize wine, particularly whites and rosés.
Trace Amounts Can Remain: Although fining agents are filtered out, trace amounts of dairy protein can be absorbed and remain in the finished wine, posing a risk for those with severe allergies.
Dairy vs. Vegan Wine: Casein makes a wine not only not dairy-free, but also not suitable for vegans. However, some vegetarian-friendly wines may still use milk or egg products, but not other animal products like gelatin.
Alternative Fining Methods: Many wineries use vegan-friendly alternatives like bentonite clay, pea protein, or activated carbon for clarification.
How to Identify Dairy-Free Wine: Look for bottles labeled 'unfined,' 'unfiltered,' or certified as vegan. Resources like Barnivore can also help verify specific brands.
Labels Aren't Always Clear: Since fining agents are considered processing aids, not ingredients, they are not always listed on the bottle's label.

Why Most Wine Is Naturally Dairy-Free (and When It's Not)

At its core, wine is the fermented juice of grapes, a process that naturally contains no dairy products. However, the finished product's clarity and stability are often the result of an optional process called 'fining'. Fining agents are added to wine to remove suspended particles—like proteins, yeast, and tannins—that can cause a hazy appearance. These agents bind to the unwanted particles, which then settle to the bottom and are filtered out before bottling. The surprising twist is that some of these traditional fining agents are derived from animal products, including milk.

The Role of Dairy in Wine Fining: Casein

The primary dairy component used in winemaking is casein, a protein found in milk. Casein, often in the form of potassium caseinate, is a potent clarifying agent, particularly effective for fining white and rosé wines. It helps to remove unwanted phenolic compounds that can cause browning and off-flavors, resulting in a cleaner, brighter wine. The milk protein is added to the wine, where it attaches to the cloudy particles. As it falls to the bottom of the tank, it carries the sediment with it. Theoretically, the fining agent is removed from the finished product, but it is not a guaranteed 100% removal. Trace amounts of the milk protein may remain, which can be a serious concern for those with severe dairy allergies.

Other Animal-Derived Fining Agents

While casein is the dairy-related fining agent, it's worth noting other animal byproducts used in traditional fining that also make a wine unsuitable for vegans, even if it remains dairy-free. These agents include:

Egg Whites (Albumen): Used to soften harsh tannins in red wines.
Gelatin: Derived from animal bones and connective tissues, used for clarifying both red and white wines.
Isinglass: A protein from fish swim bladders, typically used for white wines to achieve a brilliant clarity.

Because of the potential for trace elements to remain, and the simple fact that animal products were used in the production process, many vegetarian and vegan consumers avoid wines fined with these traditional methods. Regulations in some regions, such as the EU, may require an allergen warning if residues are detectable. However, this labeling is not universal, making it crucial for consumers with sensitivities to research their wine choices.

A Comparison of Fining Agents


Fining Agent	Source	Primary Use	Suitable for Dairy Allergy	Suitable for Vegans
Casein	Milk Protein	Clarifying white and rosé wines	No (traces may remain)	No
Bentonite Clay	Volcanic Clay	Clarifying white wines	Yes	Yes
Egg Whites (Albumen)	Eggs	Softening red wine tannins	Yes (if no egg allergy)	No
Gelatin	Animal Bones/Connective Tissue	Clarifying red wines	Yes	No
Isinglass	Fish Bladders	Clarifying white wines	Yes	No
Activated Carbon	Plant-based (e.g., coconut shells)	Removing off-flavors/colors	Yes	Yes
Pea Protein	Plant-based	Clarifying wines	Yes	Yes

How to Find Dairy-Free and Vegan Wine

With growing demand, many winemakers are adopting vegan-friendly and dairy-free methods. Here’s how you can find them:

Look for 'Unfined' or 'Unfiltered' Labels: This is the most straightforward indicator. An unfined wine means the winemaker allowed the sediment to settle naturally over time, bypassing the need for any fining agents at all. The wine may appear slightly cloudy, but it is completely safe and typically full-flavored.
Search for Vegan-Friendly Symbols: A growing number of bottles, especially from newer or more eco-conscious wineries, will feature a "Vegan" or "Vegan-Friendly" symbol on the label. This indicates that no animal products were used at any stage of production.
Consult Online Databases: Websites like Barnivore maintain extensive databases of vegan-friendly alcoholic beverages, allowing you to search by brand and type. This is one of the most reliable ways to check a specific wine that doesn't have a clear label.
Choose Certified Organic or Biodynamic Wines: While not a guarantee, many organic and biodynamic winemakers use minimal intervention, often favoring natural settling over fining agents. It's still wise to double-check with the producer, but it's a good starting point.

Conclusion: Making an Informed Choice

While wine itself is made from grapes, the use of dairy-derived casein for fining means not all wines are dairy-free. For those with allergies, this is a critical consideration. For vegans, the use of any animal byproduct, including eggs or gelatin, also makes a wine off-limits. Thankfully, the wine industry is responding to consumer demand with a growing number of vegan-friendly alternatives that utilize non-animal fining agents like bentonite clay or pea protein. By checking for 'unfined' labels, looking up brands on vegan databases, or choosing winemakers known for their minimal intervention techniques, you can ensure your glass is aligned with your dietary needs and values. With a bit of research, finding a delicious, dairy-free wine is easier than ever.

How to find a dairy-free wine

Research Online: Check dedicated vegan wine databases like Barnivore for a specific brand or bottle.
Look for 'Unfined/Unfiltered': The label 'unfined' or 'unfiltered' means no fining agents, including dairy, were used.
Seek Vegan Certifications: Find brands that explicitly label their wines as vegan on the bottle, which guarantees they are dairy-free.
Contact the Winery: When in doubt, a quick check of the producer's website or an email can confirm their fining process.
Choose Natural Wines: Many low-intervention or natural wines skip the fining process altogether, often making them dairy-free.

Frequently Asked Questions

People with lactose intolerance typically can drink wine without issue, as the dairy-derived casein used in fining contains minimal lactose, and most of it is removed during filtration. However, individuals with a severe milk protein allergy should be cautious, as trace amounts of casein can sometimes remain in the wine.

No, not all wine contains casein. The use of casein is an optional fining method, and many winemakers use alternative clarifying agents like bentonite clay or vegetable proteins. Some wines are also unfined and unfiltered, containing no fining agents at all.

The most reliable way to ensure a wine is dairy-free is to look for a 'vegan' label or 'unfined/unfiltered' on the bottle. You can also consult online databases like Barnivore, which list brands that use vegan-friendly fining methods.

No, kosher certification does not guarantee a wine is dairy-free. While kosher laws forbid mixing meat and dairy, some kosher wines may still use eggs as a fining agent, which would not be dairy-free in a vegan sense. You must check for a specific vegan certification if dairy is a concern.

No, fining agents, including casein, are used to clarify and stabilize the wine's appearance, not to add flavor. They are removed before bottling, and the trace amounts that might remain are not detectable by taste.

Casein is primarily used for fining white and rosé wines to remove color and browning. Red wines are more commonly fined with egg whites (albumin), though this is not a hard-and-fast rule. It is essential to check the bottle or consult a reliable database for any type of wine.

Winemakers are not required by law to list fining agents on the label because they are considered processing aids, not ingredients, and are theoretically removed from the final product. Due to pressure from consumers and regulatory bodies, however, more producers are voluntarily labeling their vegan wines.