Sulphites in wine: What are they? Where are they? and should you fear them!

Sulphites or sulphites (SO2) is a molecule found widely in foods & beverage, SO2 is naturally present in certain foods, including fermented products as it is ‘bi-product of the fermentation. In other instances, it can be added to help prevent spoilage and keep the product FRESH, a practice that has been used for centuries…

Because SO2 occurs during fermentation, the idea of a ‘Sulphite Free’ is simply not possible. However, you can seek out ‘low sulphite’ options… but first let us look at some other foods that contain sulphites to keep things in perspective (wine seems to be bearing the full brunt of the backlash on sulphites).

In the UK legislation caps sulphites in food to 2000ml/L, wine comes nowhere near this, but do you know what does, dried fruits (raisins and apricots), squash or cordial, frozen French fries and most pre-packaged on go snacks…

In the EU dry red wine is capped at 150mg/L and dry whites or rose at 200 mg/l, this amount is quite minimal relative to other consumer goods. For people with a sensitivity to sulphites a ‘lower sulphite’ option may be preferred, so here are some tips to help you find them:

1.Dry wines will have lower sulphites as wines with sugar need more SO2 to help keep them stable in the bottle.

2.Red wines have less sulphite than white wines, the colour, and tannins in red wine act as a natural preservative so less SO2 is needed to keep the fresh and stable.

3.Wines labelled ‘organic’ will have lower sulphite levels by law, the maximum is threshold is capped at a lower level.

4.Finally, wines that are ‘low intervention’ or ‘natural’ will often not add any sulphites – these wines can be wonderfully fresh and crunchy, but may have some additional funk and personality that you are used to due to the lower levels.

Hope this helps.