Cupcake Wines Merlot
Product Details
- Type:
- Wine
- Region:
- USA - California
- Status:
- Vegan Friendly
Company Contact
- Address:
- Livermore, California, USA
- Phone:
- Fax:
- Website:
- https://www.cupcakevineyards.com/
Verification
- Checked by:
- Mary
- Checked:
- About 16 years ago
- Double checked by:
- Andrea, Amber, Jodie, Cheryl, Andria, Christina, Elysa, Jason
- Double checked:
- 5 months ago
Verification Notes
Company email (April 2026)
Our wines are vegan-friendly – we do not use any animal products in our processes, however in order to say legally something is “VEGAN”, you must be certified/audited by the FDA, which we are not. There are very specific rules about making health claims around “vegan”, vegetarian etc.
We can only claim vegan/vegetarian friendly.
Company email (March 2021)
"It is The Wine Group Inc. understanding that our Cupcake products are considered vegan-friendly. As an organization we strive to use processing aids which are vegan-friendly. Processing aids are removed from the wine through filtration." [Note: given their repeated interpretation of veganism as "as long as we filter it out" below, we're reading this one as "yeah, we still put animal products in the wine, though apparently we strive not to"]
Company email (April 2016)
"Fining agents containing gelatin derived from pork and fermentation aids containing casein from milk may be used in the production of Cupcake wines. In general, these agents are insoluble in wine and are removed during subsequent clarification and filtration. It is our understanding that if any animal product has been in contact with the wine, we cannot claim it to be vegan."
Company email (October 2012)
"yes our wines are vegan."
Company email (December 2011)
"The fining agents we use in Cupcake wines are all removed by a series of racks, centrifugations and filtrations."
Company email (May 2011)
"Our products do not contain any animal products at bottling. Some commercially produced base wines are treated with milk fining or gelatin in rare instances during processing, however to the best of our knowledge none of these products remain in the wine after processing."
Update (September 2010)
Amber notes: "I thought it was sketchy that they said their wine contained no animal products "at bottling" and then spoke of wines in general, rather than their brand in particular. To me, it suggested that they either do use animal products during filtration or that whoever responded didn't know for sure or doesn't understand what makes a wine vegan or not. I wrote back asking for clarification but no one ever responded."
Company email (June 2010)
[when asked just "are your wines vegan] "Our wines are vegan friendly!"
Company email (May 2010)
"Our products do not contain any animal products at bottling. Some commercially produced base wines are treated with milk fining or gelatin in rare instances during processing, however to the best of our knowledge none of these products remain in the wine after processing."
Other products from Cupcake Vineyards
| Product | Type | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Cupcake Wines Angel Food | Wine | Vegan |
| Cupcake Wines Cabernet Sauvignon | Wine | Vegan |
| Cupcake Wines Chardonnay | Wine | Vegan |
| Cupcake Wines Chianti | Wine | Vegan |
| Cupcake Wines Gewurztraminer | Wine | Vegan |
| Cupcake Wines Malbec | Wine | Vegan |
| Cupcake Wines Moscato D'Asti | Wine | Vegan |
| Cupcake Wines Petite Sirah | Wine | Vegan |
| Cupcake Wines Pinot Grigio | Wine | Vegan |
| Cupcake Wines Pinot Noir | Wine | Vegan |