Comparison of wine certifications — EEA and UK

Organic (EU logo), biodynamic (Demeter) and sustainable viticulture (HVE, Equalitas, Terra Vitis, SWGB).

Certification mark	Core areas (environmental / social / economic)	Rigour of controls	Scope (vineyard vs cellar)	Vegan integrated?
EU Organic (EU logo)	Environment dominates: ban on synthetic pesticides/fertilisers and GMOs; specific winemaking rules (sorbic acid and desulphurisation prohibited, lower sulphite limits). No social or economic pillar.	Legal scheme under Regulation (EU) 2018/848; accredited control bodies; annual, risk-based checks.	Vineyard + cellar: organic grapes and regulated oenological practices for 'organic wine'.	No — animal-derived processing aids (casein, albumin, gelatine, isinglass) are permitted where the regulation allows; organic manure may be animal-derived. Vegan = separate claim.
Demeter (biodynamic)	Environmental/holistic: farm organism, biodiversity, biodynamic preparations. Secondary social rules (ban on land grabbing, community rights). No separate economic pillar.	Private standard on top of EU organic; stricter — full conversion of the holding, mandatory use of preparations on all plots, annual inspection.	Vineyard + cellar: 'Demeter/biodynamic wine' with its own cellar standard (minimal additions, hand-picking preferred, oak barrels).	No — preparations use animal materials (cow-horn manure, silica); the cellar standard does not explicitly exclude animal-derived fining agents. A separate vegan certificate is required.
HVE (High Environmental Value)	Environment only, covering four indicators: biodiversity, phytosanitary strategy, fertilisation and water management. No social or economic pillar.	Official French farm certification by approved independent bodies; points-based (10 pts per indicator). Substantially less strict than organic — synthetic products are not categorically banned.	Vineyard/holding level; the cellar/winery is not covered (only traceability of HVE grapes through to bottle via a separate mention).	No — the scope does not cover vegan winemaking.
Equalitas	Triple bottom line: Environment (carbon and water footprint, biodiversity), Social (workers' rights, equal opportunities, community), Economic (fair remuneration, transparency, investment).	Voluntary standard; independent certification by accredited bodies (CSQA, Bioagricert); annual audit + mandatory sustainability reporting; management-system approach.	Full chain: three certification models — Organisation, Product, Terroir — covering growing, vinification, bottling and the supply chain.	No — there is no mandatory vegan module in the standard. Vegan only as a possible separate claim.
Terra Vitis	Three pillars: Environment (limiting inputs, biodiversity, sulphite reduction), Social (safe working conditions, training), Economic (viability of wine businesses) — based on sustainability pillars.	Private/collective scheme, recognised by the French Ministry of Agriculture; approx. 80 control points; independent audits.	From vine to glass: certification of both the holding and the product, all production stages including the cellar.	No — non-organic; does not explicitly ban animal-derived cellar inputs. A separate vegan certificate is required.
SWGB — Sustainable Wines of Great Britain (UK)	Environment dominates (soil, biodiversity, carbon, waste/water); new people module for social aspects (wellbeing, community, responsible HR policies) since the 2026 relaunch; economic viability as an objective.	Independent audit cycle: Green audit (1 year of data, minimum standard) → after 3 years, Gold audit with improvement targets; carbon calculator mandatory.	Vineyard and winery: certified wine must come from both a certified vineyard and a certified winery.	No — no vegan requirement.

Vegan certifications for wine

None of the organic, biodynamic or sustainable certification marks integrates mandatory vegan requirements.

Label	Scope	Core requirements
V-Label (EVU)	Cellar/winery	Prohibits animal-derived ingredients and processing aids at every stage (gelatine, isinglass, casein, albumin); < 0.1% non-vegan residues; audit required.
Vegan Society Vegan Trademark	Cellar/winery	Similar strict criteria + prohibition of cross-contamination; international (UK origin), in 80+ countries.
EVE Vegan	Cellar/winery	Full supply-chain audit incl. cleaning; French option.
BeVeg	Cellar/winery	International vegan certificate with full chain audit.
Biocyclic Vegan	Vineyard + cellar (only integrated option)	Purely plant-based organic agriculture; no animal manure/slaughterhouse by-product inputs; IFOAM-accredited; on top of EU organic. 'Vegan from the field'.