Low sulphite wines - what you should know!

29 July 2016

Low sulphite wines - what you should know!

Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) is the most widely used additive used across winemakers in the world. Its primary use is to kill off unwanted moulds, bacteria and other yeasts, acting as an antioxidant, consequently inhibiting the oxygen to avoid the wine.

Sulphur or sulphites occur in 99.9% of wines in varying amounts, and is now needed to include a label that states there are sulphites within the wine. Up to a certain level, it is produced naturally by yeasts as a by-product of the fermentation process itself.

Many people suffer from sulphite allergies, which directly impact their ability to consume and enjoy wine. Others prefer to drink a natural wine for health reasons, as they are proven to be better for your body.
Sulphur allergies can cause serious reactions in people that have an allergy, and as such can be as severe as headaches, wheezing, flushing and that heavy sense of what we all know as a ‘hangover’ – even if you haven’t consumed a large amount of wine.

On average, conventional wines contain a surprisingly large amount of sulphites. To help people understand the different availabilities of lower sulphite wines, some quality wine suppliers have published the level of sulphur content on their wine listings, which has made it totally transparent for the customer.

Some suppliers have since made it their mission to move into supplying healthier wine in general, with low and no sulphite wine being sold more and more.

Many wine makers are now making more of an effort to make an amount of low or no sulphite wine, though the cost and risk are much greater. Typically your supermarket wine has come from a huge supplier that has loaded it with sulphites to increase the profits and swift production and consumption.

With passionate wine suppliers such as Good Wine Online, The Natural Wines Shop and Preservative Free Wines all providing a huge range of healthier wines, consumers can now have more choice over what they do and don’t put into their bodies.

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29 July 2016

Low sulphite wines - what you should know!