Slowly but surely, more and more of us are making plant-based foods central to our diet and the great news is, the selection of vegan wines has never been so broad.

Today, more mainstream than niche, an increasing number of winemakers are veering away from using animal-derived products – notably gelatin, fish oil and egg whites – and choosing a more natural approach with alternative fining agents in the finishing process.

And given its Veganuary of course you want to pair your healthy vegan recipes with a delicious glass of vegan vino, especially with so many prize picks out there…

“We currently have 364 vegan wines in our range,” says Liz Smith, wine director for Laithwaites. “We haven’t actively started buying vegan wines as such, but when customers started asking, and we sought more information from our family of winemakers around the world, it turns out many traditional, animal-related elements in fining wine were no longer being used anyway, as winemaking techniques modernise.

“The result is a collection of wines in a whole range of styles, all with superb quality, character and authenticity – that just also happen to be vegan.”

For a drop of sunshine in a glass, try the gold-medal winning Queen Bee Viognier 2021, Western Cape, South Africa (£12.99, Laithwaites) from their Winery of the Year 2021: Journey’s End. A consistently good producer, not only are they committed to sustainability and community projects, but they produce fantastic wines such as this fragrant, honeyed white with beams of peach and tropical fruit topped with notes of orange blossom. A highlight on its own, but especially good with vegan mac ’n’ cheese.

While in the red corner, the southern Rhône red, Willem The Silent 2020, Vaucluse IGP, France (£10.49, Laithwaites) teases and delights with its ripe, seductive nose of blackberry, raspberry and herby, scented black fruits, silky palate, touch of spice, thyme and lovely soft finish.

Meanwhile, Lydia Harrowven, wine buyer for Adnams says vegan wine isn’t a new consideration but it’s progressively moving into the spotlight as consumers adopt healthier lifestyle choices, and want to know more about where their food and drink comes from.

“At Adnams, we’re consciously trying to move our wines to increasingly vegan-friendly, so our wine portfolio is inclusive to all and no-one feels alienated from enjoying wine,” she says.

Another South African nugget is their new own label Adnams Chenin Blanc 2021, Stellenbosch, South Africa (£13.99, Adnams). It offers masses of stone fruit freshness, tangy green apple and citrus flavours with a long, fresh finish bolstered by lemony acidity – and it’s absolutely delicious.

Elsewhere, Marks & Spencer’s vegan wine range is right up there – with 95% of wines on their shelves vegan-friendly and the last wines due to make the shift in the new few months. M&S winemakers Sue Daniels and Belinda Kleinig have been working on this transformation for more than a decade.

“At the start of 2020 we pledged to have an entirely vegan own-label wine range on the shelf by the end of 2022, and we’re well on track to achieve this,” says Daniels. “In 1996, we first started to move the M&S wine range to become more suitable for vegetarians and we have come on in leaps and bounds, although it has been a long process.”

Kleinig adds: “Over this time we’ve worked extremely closely with our partners to try different winemaking techniques, whilst maintaining the quality of our wines and listening to our customers’ needs.”

A highlight on its own and especially good with vegan lentil burgers, wine lovers who appreciate a mighty malbec will be bowled over by their Salentein Barrel Selection Malbec, 2020, Uco Valley, Argentina (£15, Marks & Spencer, in-store).

Salentein is another first-class producer and award-winning winery committed to sustainability. It’s loaded with violet-scented fruit and hints of roses, layers of rich brambly sun-kissed fruit with sweet spice, finishing smooth and long, while maintaining that all important freshness the Uco Valley is famous for.

Tesco are also dedicated to making vegan wines that much easier to find, with more than 200 vegan-friendly bottles to choose from including award-winning bubbles, whites, reds and rosés for every budget.

We’ve plucked Casa Roscoli Organic Primitivo 2020, Puglia, Italy (£8, Tesco) which stands out for its juicy, fruit-forward fanfare of ripe cherries, blackberries and sweep of sweet spice on the finish. Super satisfying and food friendly, we’re thinking anything with mushrooms, but especially spiced mushroom and vegan hotpot for a mid-week supper.

Another hub for vegan wines, check-out Morrisons silver-medal winning Soave 2020, Italy (£4.35, Morrisons); a snip at less than a fiver and staying true to everything we love about Soave with its zingy lemony freshness and faintest hint of almond. What’s more, it goes with a variety of vegan dishes, especially vegan garlic alfredo pasta. Cheers!