I know there is a lot of misunderstanding out there when it comes to wine and sulfites, so I am here to clear the air a bit :-) Firstly, SO2 is a by-product of the fermentation process, so if it's wine, it's got sulfites. There is no such thing as a wine that has no sulfites, period. Organic wines do not add sulfites to their wines, as that it considered illegal according the extremely strict guidelines organic winemakers follow. Usually wineries go for organic grape-growing, so they can use sulfites in the winemaking process. So, now the question becomes, why use sulfites? Sulfites help protect the wine from oxidizing (or turning brown), and it prevents bacteria and germs from making a home in the wine. All in all, sulfites lead to a more stable wine.

Now, I hear a lot of comments from misinformed folks who claim that they are allergic to sulfites. This is not usually the case. Why? Well, in fact, white wines undergo more sulfiting because they are usually made without the skins. The skins in red winemaking is where you get the color and tannin to the wine. Tannins act as natural preservatives to the reds aiding SO2 in preventing spoilage and bacterial growth, and allowing reds to age more than a lot of white wines can. So, red wines usually have 40ppm of SO2 and whites and champagne have up to 70ppm. So, you see here, that the ill effects of red wine, in fact does not come from the sulfites. My opinion is that it comes from the higher alcohol levels and the tannins, as I, myself, become quite fatigued if I drink much red. In fact, the FDA says only about .4% of the population or 1 million people are considered highly allergic to sulfites. There are sulfite-sensitive types out there, and the recommendation is to veer away from commercial wines (as they have higher levels of sulfites) and stick with organic wines or organic grapes or biodynamic wines. This should help keep the sulfite perception below the threshold level.

I hope this helps clear up the confusion with sulfites! Cheers :-)

Lindsay Pomeroy