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Sulfites and Wine
We get lots of questions about sulfites, and hope that this information is helpful.
Why does wine have sulfites?
The simple answer is that they’re a naturally occurring by-product of the fermentation. But that’s not the whole answer. World wide, most wineries add sulfur dioxide (SO2) during winemaking as a preservative, as has been done for centuries. It’s an anti-oxidant and anti-bacterial agent. It keeps the color bright, fruit flavors fresh and prevents spoilage. The best wineries add very small amounts. There are stronger preservatives we may legally add, such as potassium sorbate, but most producers find that they interfere with aroma and flavor.
Wines bottled with no added sulfites are often quite attractive at the time of release, but tend to have a short shelf-life because the amount of active SO2 produced during fermentation may not be adequate to protect the wine, plus the active sulfur diminishes with time. Most often, as a result, the flavors fade and the wine loses its freshness and begins to brown. This means the wine is less reliably good, and aging it will more likely lead to spoilage than added complexity.
Are sulfites harmful?
Sulfites from any source, food or wine, are harmful to about .25% of the population. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which keeps track of reported sulfite reactions in the U.S., listed just 1,097 such cases between 1985 and 1995. However, those reactions can be extremely serious and sulfite-sensitive individuals know that they must avoid wine, fruit juice, sausages and many processed foods.
Although the threat is small, since 1987 the FDA has required that all wines containing more than 10 parts per million of sulfites must bear a warning label. Since wine fermentation naturally produces between 5 and 20 parts per million, the 10 parts per million threshold is exceeded in virtually every wine produced in the USA and abroad. Wines made in the U.S. are permitted to contain as much as 350 parts per million, a level unlikely to occur, as it would be offensive. Some processed foods, in contrast, contain over 1,000 parts per million, because food laws are more lenient.
