Is Casillero Del Diablo Vegan Or Not? Here's The Truth
Most bottles of Casillero del Diablo are vegan, but not all of them. The red wines in the core range-such as the Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon and the Red Blend-are widely listed as vegan-friendly and have been included in Concha y Toro's official vegan portfolio, while some of the white wines historically used animal-product fining agents like gelatin and are therefore not vegan.
Which Casillero del Diablo wines are vegan?
Several Casillero del Diablo bottlings appear on Concha y Toro's publicly listed vegan offerings. A 2023 announcement from the parent company notes that 36 wines across its portfolio carry vegan status, and that list includes multiple Casillero del Diablo labels such as the Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon and the Casillero del Diablo Red Blend.
Industry tracking site Barnivore, which aggregates winery communication, reports that all Casillero del Diablo red wines are considered safe for vegans, whereas the white wines have historically been treated with a minimal dose of gelatin, making them non-vegan. This mirrors a broader trend in the wine industry: red wines are more often vegan by default, while many white and rosé wines still rely on animal-derived fining agents such as gelatin, casein, or egg-white.
By contrast, vegan wines use alternatives such as bentonite clay, activated charcoal, or synthetic polymers, or simply rely on settling and filtration. Wineries that certify their wines as vegan-such as those with the European V-Label seal-must prove that all ingredients and processing aids meet plant-based or mineral-based criteria.
Historical inconsistencies in Casillero del Diablo labeling
Casillero del Diablo's vegan status has not always been clear to consumers. Barnivore records a 2016 email from the company stating that Casillero del Diablo wines were "not vegan in status," yet later internal follow-up in 2017 indicated that the reds were safe for vegans. This kind of mixed messaging reflects a broader industry-wide confusion before standardized vegan certification became common.
Between 2016 and 2023, the parent company Concha y Toro invested in re-evaluating its inputs and seeking third-party vegan certification. By 2023, the company listed 36 of its labels as vegan, explicitly naming several Casillero del Diablo reds, including the Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon and the Red Blend. This shift signals a move from "may be vegan" speculation to verified vegan status for those specific bottlings.
Another factor is that vegan certification is still relatively new in the wine world. The V-Label certifying body did not begin auditing large South American portfolios in depth until 2020-2021, and Chilean exporters only started consistently using the seal on bottle back-labels around 2022-2023. As a result, many "vegan" wines are only discoverable via third-party databases or the winery's own press releases, not by the front label alone.
How to check if a specific Casillero del Diablo bottle is vegan
To verify the vegan status of a particular Casillero del Diablo bottle, consumers should combine several information sources. Here is a practical checklist for any wine, including this brand:
- Identify the exact wine name and vintage (e.g., "Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2022").
- Look for vegan certification symbols such as the V-Label on the back label or neck tag.
- Search the wine in a dedicated vegan database such as Barnivore, which pulls from winery emails and updates its status notes when brands change practices.
- Consult the parent company's latest press releases; Concha y Toro's 2023 update notes that 36 of its wines are vegan, including several Casillero del Diablo reds.
- When in doubt, contact the winery directly via the winery email listed on its website and ask whether the specific SKU uses animal-derived fining agents.
For example, the 2022 Casillero del Diablo Red Blend appears in Barnivore as vegan-friendly and is also listed in Concha y Toro's 2023 vegan portfolio, whereas older white versions of Casillero del Diablo reported gelatin use in 2016-2017 communications. This illustrates how the answer can change by line (red vs. white) and by vintage.
Common vegan-friendly Casillero del Diablo options
Based on current industry listings and Concha y Toro's own disclosures, the following Casillero del Diablo bottlings are typically regarded as vegan-friendly:
- Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon - Included in Concha y Toro's 2023 list of 36 vegan wines and described as vegan-friendly on third-party databases.
- Casillero del Diablo Red Blend - Also listed in the 2023 vegan portfolio and marked vegan on Barnivore.
- Casillero del Diablo Diablo Black Cabernet Sauvignon - Named in the same Concha y Toro vegan list, indicating it is produced without animal-derived fining agents.
- Casillero del Diablo Diablo Dark Red - Another Casillero line explicitly included among the certified vegan wines.
- Selected Casillero del Diablo Reserva Privada labels - These higher-end reds have received the V-Label vegan seal in 2024 as part of Concha y Toro's expanded vegan certification effort.
Statistics on vegan wine penetration in Chile suggest that, as of 2024, roughly 18% of all exported Chilean wines now carry some form of vegan certification, with Concha y Toro contributing a significant share of that volume.
There is currently no public confirmation that all Casillero del Diablo whites have transitioned to vegan-friendly methods. Until such an update is clearly documented, consumers following a strict vegan diet should assume that older or unlabeled white versions of Casillero del Diablo may still rely on gelatin or other animal-derived fining agents.
Comparison: vegan vs. non-vegan Casillero del Diablo styles
The table below contrasts typical vegan-friendly and non-vegan-affirmed Casillero del Diablo styles, based on current public data.
| Style | Typical vegan status | Key fining practices | Public evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon | Vegan | Uses clay or synthetic fining agents instead of animal products | Listed in Concha y Toro's 2023 vegan portfolio; carries V-Label in 2024 runs |
| Casillero del Diablo Red Blend | Vegan | Plant- or mineral-based fining, no gelatin | Appears in vegan lists on Barnivore and in Concha y Toro's 36-wine vegan group |
| Casillero del Diablo Diablo Black Cabernet Sauvignon | Vegan | Standard vegan-friendly fining for reds | Named in Concha y Toro's vegan-certified wines announcement |
| Casillero del Diablo Diablo Dark Red | Vegan | Same red-wine vegan protocol as core red lines | Included in Concha y Toro's 2023 vegan list |
| Casillero del Diablo white wines (varietals) | Not vegan (historically) | Reported use of minimal gelatin doses for clarification | Explicitly flagged as non-vegan in 2017 Barnivore-documented winery email |
These tools are useful as a secondary check: if an app flags dairy, egg, or fish-derived ingredients, that is a strong signal to avoid the bottle for vegan diets. However, when the app says "no animal ingredients listed," consumers still need to cross-check with vegan certification or winery databases such as Barnivore, which track processing aids invisible to ingredient scanners.
For consumers, this means that the current situation-where many Casillero del Diablo reds are vegan while some whites are not-is likely to evolve. Until then, the safest approach is to treat specific red lines as vegan (when confirmed) and to treat unconfirmed white versions as non-vegan unless a new winery statement or certification appears.
What are the most common questions about Is Casillero Del Diablo Vegan Or Not Heres The Truth?
What does "vegan" mean in wine?
In wine, vegan means that no animal-derived fining agents or additives were used during production or bottling. Standard fining agents such as gelatin, isinglass (from fish bladder), casein (milk protein), and egg white are used to clarify wine and remove suspended particles, but they leave trace residues that make the wine non-vegan even if they are not listed on the label.
Why don't wine labels just say "vegan"?
Many wine labels, including some Casillero del Diablo bottles, do not flag "vegan" on the front even when the wine is certified vegan. In the United States alone, only about 12% of wines sold in 2024 carried explicit vegan labeling, despite the rapidly growing vegan wine market. This lag exists partly because wine labeling regulations are tightly controlled, and producers must balance regulatory language with limited visual space and marketing priorities.
When is Casillero del Diablo not vegan?
Historically, some Casillero del Diablo white wines were not considered vegan because they were treated with a minimal dose of gelatin during fining. Barnivore's database notes that a 2017 internal winery communication confirmed that "all of our Casillero del Diablo red wines are safe for vegans" but explicitly stated that the white wines were not, due to gelatin use. This kind of distinction is common in the industry, where reds are often vegan by default, while whites and rosés may still use animal-derived fining agents.
How to interpret ingredient-style apps and wine finders?
Third-party apps that analyze product labels-such as allergen or vegan checkers-often rely on scanning ingredient lists rather than contacting wineries directly. For wines like Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon, such tools report "no animal or animal-derived ingredients listed on the label," which supports vegan status but does not guarantee it, because fining agents are usually not listed.
What does the future hold for vegan Casillero del Diablo?
Industry data suggests that the share of vegan-certified wines in Concha y Toro's portfolio has grown from about 10% of its exports in 2021 to roughly 18% by 2024, with Casillero del Diablo among the key brands driving that growth. The company has publicly stated that it aims to certify at least 25% of its export portfolio as vegan by 2027, which would likely include additional Casillero del Diablo whites and rosés if animal-derived fining can be phased out.
Is Casillero del Diablo vegan?
Many Casillero del Diablo wines, especially the reds such as the Casillero del Diablo Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon and the Casillero del Diablo Red Blend, are considered vegan and are included in Concha y Toro's official vegan portfolio. However, some white wines in the range have historically used gelatin and are therefore not vegan, so the answer depends on the exact label and vintage.
Are all Casillero del Diablo reds vegan?
According to a 2017 internal communication documented by Barnivore, "all of our Casillero del Diablo red wines are safe for vegans," which suggests that the entire red range is produced without animal-derived fining agents. However, this statement predates the newer vegan-certification push, so the most reliable confirmation is to check whether a specific red SKU appears in Concha y Toro's 2023-2024 vegan lists or carries the V-Label.
Are Casillero del Diablo whites vegan?
No, Casillero del Diablo white wines are not reliably vegan. Barnivore records a winery email noting that the white wines were treated with a minimal dose of gelatin, which classifies them as non-vegan. There is no public update confirming that all those whites have switched to vegan-friendly fining, so vegan consumers should assume they are not safe until the producer explicitly states otherwise.
Does Casillero del Diablo use egg-white or casein?
Publicly available information indicates that Casillero del Diablo's vegan-listed reds avoid animal-derived fining agents such as egg-white or casein. For the non-vegan white line, the reported animal-derived product is gelatin, not casein or egg-white. This aligns with typical industry practice, where gelatin is more common in white wines than egg-white, which is often reserved for specific reds.
How can I be sure a bottle is vegan?
To be certain that a Casillero del Diablo bottle is vegan, you should verify it against three sources: the presence of a vegan certification seal (such as V-Label) on the packaging, its listing in the winery's vegan portfolio press release, and its status in a dedicated vegan wine database like Barnivore. If those sources conflict or are missing for a particular SKU, contacting the winery customer service and asking specifically about fining agents is the most reliable step.
