The idea that wine is not always vegan comes as surprise to many. Oh great, here come the vegan activists, finding a way to ruin everything holy and delicious. Now, I come from a family that is very engaged in the wine industry. It’s almost impossible not to be, living just 20 minutes away from some of the most famous Napa Valley vineyards and tasting rooms. Full disclosure, vegan wine is not something I had given much thought, figuring ignorance is bliss if I have a perfectly good glass of grapes in front of me. Until…recently, I had the idea of creating an elegant vegan food and wine pairing for…

Often, you hear the word “vegan” in the same sentence as “sustainable.” While the idea that vegans are eco-friendly-hippie-dippie-tree-hugging-patchouli-smelling-activists didn’t come from nowhere, we’ve expanded our scope a bit. I’ve actually had people tell me, “you don’t look vegan” referring to my personal style. I’ve also had people criticize me, before asking my reasons, for driving a car and “claiming to be green.” There are a few reasons why those statements are a bit ignorant but mostly, this all or nothing mindset is dangerous – as if you can’t be vegan for sustainable reasons and make other not-as-sustainable choices. Veganism is a growing community, with a surprising 25% of American…

I get this question a lot. And for the record, most people are pretty nice when they ask me, albeit I live in California where veganism is not only accepted but increasingly popular. But really, why don’t vegans eat eggs? And would they eat them if they had their own free-range, happy chickens? There are a few things that are generally undisputed about egg production. I’ll start with the most obvious and blatant reason eggs are considered cruel by a vegan…chicken farmers need to hatch chicks to have a continual flow of egg-bearing hens. Unfortunately, male chicks are essentially useless as you only need one rooster to fertilize multiple eggs.…

I recommend not doing what I call going “cold tofurky.”  Basically, deciding when you wake up, that day will be the very last time animal products will pass through your newly minted conscious and cruelty-free mouth. There are actually a few reasons why I recommend phasing out animal products as opposed to just trashing them immediately. For starters, unless you have a knowledgeably-curated meal prep or plan for the day/week you decide to give it all up, you are most likely not going to have a clue how to formulate the balanced diet, or at least, the same diet your body is used to. You’ll probably crash, burn and blame…