Therefore, the agents solidify with the protein and they remain in the wine, although they can be removed. Common animal-based agents include egg whites, milk, casein, gelatin, and isinglass. Gelatin is an animal protein derived from the skin and connective tissue of pigs and cows. Isinglass is prepared from the bladder of the sturgeon fish. Bentonite, a clay earth product, serves as a popular fining agent.
Organic agents are more likely to be used in the clarification of premium wines.
According to Bouchaine Vineyard, twenty-five percent of the premium wines produced in the United States is clarified with an organic protein. Egg whites from chicken eggs are used for red wine clarification and are removed before the wine is bottled. The egg whites are not specially processed or separately distributed for the wine industry. They are regular, store-bought eggs or farm eggs. Two or three egg whites can clarify a 55-gallon barrel of wine.