(Care2) - Believe it or not that wine you’ve been drinking contains fish. From Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio to Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc, all your favorite tipples are harboring a dirty little secret. As we all know wine is made from grapes, but what most of us don’t know is that there are a whole host of other ingredients that go into the mix, meaning not all wines are vegan or even vegetarian friendly for that matter.

The Winemaking Process

All freshly made wines look slightly hazy because they contain tiny organic molecules such as proteins, tannins, tartrates and phenolics. These molecules are all natural and are in no way harmful, but wine drinkers want bright and clear wines, not murky and dull looking ones.

This is where the fining process comes in. The majority of wines if left to settle long enough, will self fine and self stabilize. However, wine producers traditionally use a variety of aids to help speed up the process. These aids, also known as fining agents, are used to precipitate any haze inducing molecules making them easier to remove.