May Newsletter

We hope you all enjoyed Easter, which certainly kickstarted the bank holiday vibe! Of course this month we have two more bank holiday weekends to enjoy, on 5 and 26 May!

We are currently overwhelmed with fabulous new wines, which is a fantastic position to find ourselves in! There have been some brilliant new vegan wines coming through and we can't wait to bring you up to speed with the new catalogue.

One great way to find out about our latest wines is to attend one of our monthly Vegan Tipples Wine Tasting evenings. Read on for details of the dates we have lined up this year and be sure to book your place nice and early, as these popular vegan events sell out quickly!

The summer season starts here, and we know there's nothing quite like a chilled vegan fizz to toast the warmer weather, so we share our sparkling recommendations.

May sees some noteworthy dates in the wine calendar, including Pinot Grigio Day on 17 May and International Chardonnay Day on 22 May, so we of course raise a glass to toast these!

We hope this month brings you all the joy of the May wildflowers, plenty of sunshine and of course, lots of "Happy Drinking!"

Spring Box 2025

Our ever-popular seasonal Mixed Box of wine is here for Spring 2025! An outstanding mixed case of six bottles - white, red and fizz! All for just £57.

Our seasonal boxes are always lovingly curated by Vegan Tipples Founder and Director, Susan Hunt, with a vision in mind of supplying exceptional vegan wine at great value! And this season's offering delivers just that. All our mixed boxes come with detailed tasting notes, helping you to get the very best from your wines.

Let's take a look at what's inside:

Perelada Stars Cava Brut: "Delicate pink in colour. Bright and limpid. Its fine bubbles detach, forming a crown on the surface. Its aroma is clean, floral and fruity, long lasting and elegant. Complex on the palate, fruity, smooth, silky, with excellent balance."

Indomita, Costa Vera Sauvignon Blanc: "A wonderfully fresh and fruity Chardonnay, golden in colour, full of delicious, ripe tropical fruit like banana and pineapple and a lively, zesty, refreshing feel."

Mont Rocher Viognier: "Enticingly aromatic with characteristic exotic stone fruit and honeysuckle, this dawn-picked Viognier is rich yet refreshingly dry."

Umbrele Pinot Rosé, Vilie Timisului: "The nose is full of summer fruit aromas, strawberry, blueberry, and the palate is light, crisp and refreshing with notes of raspberry and cranberry."

Mabis Biscardo Pinot Grigio Rosé: "An ambrosial nose of wonderful floral aromas, on the palate there’s an abundance of tropical fruit, melon, guava and peach supported by zippy acidity making it mouth-tinglingly moreish. A light and refreshing wine for any occasion."

Alasia Barbera 2023: "A fresh, juicy red with aromas of raspberries, plums and cherries. These characters follow through to the palate, along with soft tannins and a savoury spiciness. Refreshing acidity on the finish."

We're delighted to announce that we'll be back once again at Edinburgh Uncorked this year!

Click on the link below to find out more and to book tickets! We really hope to see you at the Assembly Rooms, Edinburgh on 31 May!

Summer Sparkles:

Sunshine-filled days were made to be followed by the sound of a popping cork and the clink of glasses filled with chilled bubbly!

Get your fridge sunshine-ready with our pick of the best bubbles, as selected by Vegan Tipples' Founder and Director, Susan Hunt:

Stift Klosterneuburg Klostersekt

With it‘s elegant mousseux the Klostersekt can be enjoyed as an Aperitif or accompanies starters or desserts excellently: " This sparkling classic is characterized by a clear, fresh and fruity aromas of apples and lime on the nose. Due to a yeast contact of at least 9 months the Klostersekt displays an harmonious aroma expression on the palate." £16.99

Cielo e Terra, Casa Defra, Prosecco Rose DOC, Italy, 2023:

An elegant aperitif, for sipping at the barbecue but pairs well with lightly flavoured dishes: "Pale rosé in colour, this elegant Prosecco has a strawberry and cherry bouquet. Fresh, balanced and persistent on the palate with a fine mousse." £12.25

Oddbird No Alcohol Spumante, Veneto, Italy

For a fizz without the alcohol, look no further than this beautiful bottle which is perfect as an aperitif or used in non-alcoholic mocktails: "Using grapes from the Italian province of Treviso located in Veneto, commonly known as the Prosecco region, Oddbird Spumante is made with traditional methods and 100% Glera grapes exclusively from DOC and DOCG vineyards. The wine is matured for up to 12 months and then gently liberated from alcohol to preserve its natural character. With notes of nashi pear, elderflower, green apple and grapefruit." £12.99

New Wines:

We're very proud of our Vegan Tipples' catalogue and it's always a joy to be able to add some delightful new additions to it!  With you, our dear Vegan Tipples' customers at heart, we go about the difficult job of tasting many vegan wines, as well as researching the vegan credentials of each potential new bottle to join our prestigious shelves!

It's therefore with great delight that we can introduce you to some amazing new vegan wines we've recently welcomed on board!  First up, we're excited to bring you our very first Tasmanian wine!

Jansz Cuvee

Fiercely independent since 1849, Yalumba are Australia's oldest family-owned winery, proudly showcasing the best of the Barossa in South Australia. For six generations Yalumba have embraced the magnificent unknown, letting the land lead the way and growing their vines with as little interference as possible.  Sourced from selected vineyard sites across Tasmania; from the Pipers River and Tamar Valley regions in the North to the Coal River Valley in the South. Representing the best of sparkling Tasmania.

This is an award winning wine: 94 James Halliday Wine Companion, 93 Wine Enthusiast and 90 James Suckling.

It pairs well with olive tapanade and bruschetta as well as being an excellent aperitif: "Very pale gold in colour, with a persistent fine mousse. The nose displays aromas of honeysuckle, citrus zest and fresh strawberries from the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir fruit. Extended time on lees during secondary fermentation contributes more complex aromas of nougat and roasted nuts. The palate is well balanced with delicate fruit flavour, fine creamy texture and a refreshing natural acid drive. The finish is dry and fresh with lingering flavours of citrus and nougat."  £19.99

Next up, a pair of French wines we think you'll fall in love with as much as we have:

Vignerons Ardechois Merlot Syrah ‘Les Terrasses' 2022

The vineyard is located in the south east of southern Ardèche on the right bank of the Rhône valley. It is located on clay-limestone, basalt and sandstone soils with the influence of a Mediterranean climate. The harvest is made at night during the coolest hours, and a short maceration allows to obtain a beautiful deep pink colour. Here is a wine that is a great all rounder: "A cracking wine full of southern French charm. Mint, bramble and a touch of cocoa dance round the palate. An easy-drinking charmer." £10.99

And Vignerons Ardechois Grenache Syrah Rose ‘Les Terrasses’ 2023
This wine is perfect for the season as it pairs so well with asparagus: "Made in a light Provençal style, pale in colour and crisp and mineral in character. Light red berries of cranberry and redcurrant and a crisp, refreshing finish." £10.99

Next we have a new dessert wine, perfect for the summer season, offered at an unimaginable price!

Luis Felipe Edwards Late Harvest Viognier Sauvignon Blanc 2024, 37cl

Luis Felipe Edwards is an innovative and fast growing family company, producing high quality award winning wines. 100% family owned and largely family managed. They have 2,000 hectares of their own vineyards and have amassed 8 trophies in the last 2 years as well as over 400 other medals.

This dessert wine is the perfect way to complete a meal and goes really well with a vegan cheeseboard: "Bright honey yellow colour. The nose is very complex encompassing broad sweet aromas of honey, peaches, applesauce and white flowers. In the mouth it is fatty, with an exquisite sweetness that together with its acidity delivered by the base of sauvignon blanc, make this wine a very good example of a Chilean late harvest."  Just £7.99!

Wine days worth celebrating...

Lucky us, May provides the opportunity to raise a glass to two very special days in the annual wine calendar!

On 17 May we say 'hello' to Pinot Grigio for Pinot Grigio Day and on 22 May we say 'hello Chardonnay' as we celebrate International Chardonnay Day!

Here's a Pinot Grigio well worth getting to know!

Uvam, Pinot Grigio, IGT , Biscardo, Mabis, 2023

This wine is great for sipping and enjoying or pair with light tempeh dishes: "An ambrosial nose of wonderful floral aroma's, on the palate there’s an abundance of tropical fruit, melon, guava and peach supported by zippy acidity making it mouth-tinglingly moreish. A light refreshing wine for any occasion." £11.45

And for our pick of the Chardonnay bunch we present a rather lovely organic option:

Pasqua Organic Chardonnay/Grillo 2022

This is a highly versatile dry white, ideal as an aperitif or to accompany foods such as salads and pizza: "A fresh, dry white with stone fruit and citrus aromas and lightly spicy notes. Crisp and delicate on the palate with some honeyed fruit balanced by lemony acidity, minerality and a fresh, dry finish." £13.25

Wine Tastings:

We'd love you to join us at one of our Vegan Tipples' Wine Tasting events! These fun and informative events start at 7pm and are taking place on 2 May, 6 June, 4 July, 8 August, 5 September, 3 October, 7 November and the festive specials will take place on 5 and 6 December. Each Wine Tasting Evening will take place at our premises in the heart of historic Edinburgh. Tickets are just £15 (ticket prices are increased in December, to be confirmed nearer the time).

We recommend you book very soon to reserve your place, as these popular events usually sell out in advance.

If you can't make these dates, why not organise a private tasting for you and your friends / family / colleagues? We can host up to 12 people at our Forth Street premises in the heart of Edinburgh. Just drop us an e-mail using the link below to discuss a bespoke event tailored to your personal requirements!