You’re sitting at a dimly lit wine bar, swirling a deep ruby Cabernet, and someone drops a "fun fact" that ruins the mood: "You know they used to put bull’s blood in that, right?" Suddenly, your $18 glass of Napa red feels a lot less sophisticated. It sounds like some medieval urban legend or a scene from a low-budget vampire flick. But honestly, the history of blood in the wine isn’t just some spooky story—it’s a documented part of winemaking history that still makes people squirm today.
People get weird about what goes into their drinks. We want our wine to be fermented grape juice and nothing else, but the reality is that winemaking is a messy, chemical process. For centuries, vintners have used all sorts of "fining agents" to make wine clear and pretty.
Wait. Is it still happening?
If you’re worried about taking a sip of bovine hemoglobin during your next dinner party, take a breath. It’s mostly a dead practice. Mostly. But the reason it existed in the first place tells us a lot about how the industry treats "purity" versus "clarity."
What Exactly Is Blood Fining?
Wine is naturally cloudy. After fermentation, you’ve got these tiny particles—yeast cells, proteins, tannins—floating around in the liquid. If you just bottled it like that, it would look like swamp water. To fix this, winemakers use fining agents. These are substances that act like a magnet. You drop them into the vat, they bind to the cloudy bits, and they sink to the bottom. Then you just rack the clear wine off the top.
Historically, dried blood powder (usually from cattle or pigs) was a cheap and incredibly effective fining agent. It’s packed with albumin, a protein that is world-class at grabbing onto harsh tannins and suspended solids.
It worked. It worked really well.
But then the 1990s happened. The "Mad Cow Disease" (BSE) crisis hit Europe, and suddenly, the idea of bovine products anywhere near a beverage became a PR nightmare and a massive health risk. The European Union stepped in and banned the use of blood in the wine in 1997. The United States and most other major wine-producing regions followed suit shortly after.
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Today, if you’re buying a bottle from a reputable shop, there is zero chance there is actual blood used in the processing.
If not blood, then what?
Winemakers still need to clear their wine. If they aren't using blood, they’re using other stuff that might still make a vegan faint.
- Isinglass: This is a fancy word for dried fish bladders. Specifically from sturgeon or cod. It gives white wines a brilliant shine.
- Egg Whites (Albumin): This is still the gold standard in Bordeaux. They crack thousands of eggs, toss the whites into the barrels, and the yolks get used to make canelés (those delicious French pastries).
- Casein: A protein found in milk. Great for fixing oxidative damage in whites.
- Gelatin: Derived from animal hides and bones.
So, while the literal "blood" part is gone, the "animal parts" part is very much alive in traditional winemaking.
The Myth of the "Blood Red" Color
One of the biggest misconceptions I hear is that blood was used to color the wine. That’s just not how it works. Blood is actually a terrible dye for wine because it turns brown and clumpy. The deep red color of your Malbec comes entirely from the skins of the grapes—anthocyanins, to be technical.
Using blood in the wine was always about texture and clarity, never about the shade of red. If a wine looks unnaturally dark, they probably just used a concentrate called Mega Purple, not a cow.
Actually, let’s talk about the 19th century for a second. Back then, food safety was a joke. There are old records of "fortified" wines where chemists experimented with all sorts of additives to "beef up" the nutritional profile of wine for medicinal purposes. But for the average table wine? It was just a processing aid.
How to Avoid Animal Products Entirely
If the idea of fish bladders or old-school blood powder still haunts you, you’re looking for "Vegan Wine."
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It sounds redundant—isn't wine just grapes? Well, as we've established, no.
Luckily, the industry is shifting. A lot of modern winemakers are moving toward bentonite (a type of volcanic clay) or pea protein as fining agents. They do the same job without the "animal byproduct" baggage.
Why some wines are "Unfined and Unfiltered"
You’ll see this on labels a lot lately, especially with the "natural wine" movement. These winemakers basically say, "Let it be cloudy." By not fining the wine at all, they preserve more of the natural texture and flavor compounds. It might look a little hazy, like a craft IPA, but you can be 100% sure nothing weird was dropped into the tank to clarify it.
The Real Danger: Lead and Pesticides
Honestly, if you’re worried about blood in the wine, you’re worrying about the wrong thing. The historical use of blood is a relic. What you should actually be looking at is the transition the industry made away from lead capsules and the current debate over glyphosate (Roundup) in vineyards.
For a long time, wine bottles were sealed with lead foil. This was a much bigger health hazard than a bit of dried protein. By the time the 90s rolled around, we realized that pouring wine over a lead-corroded rim was... bad.
Today, the "purity" of wine is measured by chemical residues, not by whether a cow was involved in 1850.
Identifying What’s in Your Glass
The frustrating part? Wine labels don't have to list ingredients. In the US, the TTB (Tax and Trade Bureau) only requires a few things: alcohol content, sulfite warnings, and the brand. They don't have to tell you if they used egg whites, fish bladders, or clay.
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This lack of transparency is why the "blood" myths persist. Without an ingredient list, people fill in the blanks with the most dramatic stories they can find.
- Check the back label for a "Certified Vegan" logo.
- Look for the phrase "Unfined/Unfiltered."
- Research the producer’s "fining protocol"—most high-end estates are proud to talk about this on their websites.
Navigating the Wine Aisle Like a Pro
If you want to ensure your wine is as "clean" as possible, stop looking for "blood-free" (because it all is) and start looking for "minimal intervention."
Biodynamic wines are a great place to start. These producers treat the vineyard as a whole ecosystem. While they might use animal horns as compost (part of the weird and wonderful Steiner method), they are usually the most transparent about what goes into the bottle.
The story of blood in the wine is a great piece of trivia to annoy your friends with, but it’s no longer a reality of the modern cellar. We’ve traded the macabre tools of the past for better technology—and frankly, better-tasting wine.
Next time you’re buying a bottle, skip the mass-produced stuff. Go for a small-scale producer. Ask the shop clerk for something "unfined." Not only will you avoid the ghost of 19th-century fining practices, but you’ll probably end up with a wine that actually tastes like the place it came from.
Actionable Steps for the Conscious Drinker:
- Download the Barnivore App: This is the gold standard for checking if a specific wine brand uses animal-derived fining agents.
- Search for "Pét-Nat": These are sparkling wines bottled during fermentation. They are almost never fined or filtered, making them a safe bet for vegans.
- Check the Year: If you ever come across a "dusty" bottle from pre-1997 Europe, just be aware of the historical context. It’s likely safe to drink, but that’s the era where the old rules still applied.
- Ask about "Bentonite": When tasting at a winery, ask the pourer what they use for fining. If they say bentonite, you're in the clear. If they say "nothing," even better.