And is this type of wine better for your health? This guide will clue you in to everything you need to know about sulfites so you can make an informed decision before picking your next bottle of wine. Sulfites are inorganic salts that contain the sulfite ion and can act as preservatives and antioxidants, namely for food and drinks. Some examples of sulfites include sulfur dioxide, sodium bisulfites, and metabisulfites.
They can reduce browning on fruits and vegetables, prevent the growth of yeast and bacteria in wine, and even stabilize the potency of medications. Plenty of foods think dried fruit, canned soups, and prepackaged deli meats have added sulfites, while others such as chocolate, black tea, eggs, and fermented foods like pickles, sauerkraut, and kimchi contain natural sulfites.
Wine also contains naturally occurring sulfites. Because sulfur dioxide is released as a natural byproduct of the fermentation process during winemaking , it's impossible to have a completely sulfite-free wine. That said, you can find wines that are made without added sulfites aka lab-created, synthetic sulfites. As mentioned, synthetic sulfites affect wine by acting as a preservative and inhibiting bacterial contamination.
Many winemakers use sulfur dioxide to kill off unwanted yeast and bacteria so you don't get an oxidized wine, which could ultimately ruin a wine's taste, texture, color , and appearance. However, not all wines have added sulfites. For instance, Usual Wines are made without any added sulfites, no sugar, zero chemical additives, and minimal intervention. Sulfite levels are measured in "ppm," or parts per million.
In the United States, conventional wines can have up to ppm of sulfites. Sulfites comprise a range of sulfur compoundsparticularly sulfur dioxide SO 2 that are a natural by-product of the fermentation process that work as a preservative against certain yeast and bacteria which will quickly destroy a wine if they start to multiply. Many, many foods ranging from crackers to coconut contain sulfites. In , the FDA identified sulfites as an allergen , following a rash of asthma cases reported around that time.
They are universally quite vile. Though many foreign producers include US warning labels, technically the rules only apply to domestic wines. Either way, sulfites are a regular part of winemaking around the world as a matter of necessity. Put simply, sulfites are to wine as gluten is to food. The big one: headaches. It's added to fruit to keep it from spoiling or fungus from growing, says Simonetti.
Dried apricots, for example, have sulfite levels of ppm. So if you can happily snack on dried apples and mangoes without a problem, your body can handle the sulfites in wine just fine. Symptoms you should watch for include typical asthmatic or allergy-style suffering: hives, headaches, itching, sneezing, coughing, swelling, as well as gastrointestinal distress.
Sometimes just smelling or opening up a bottle of wine that's particularly high in sulfites can induce a sneeze or cough, though it may take up to half an hour to experience symptoms after drinking it, according to IFAS.
And heads up: Even if you're symptom-free now, you can develop a sensitivity any time in your life even as late as your forties or fifties. The biggest reason you're getting a headache from red wine or any wine, for that matter is probably the quantity.
But if you get a headache before you're even halfway into your first glass, it's probs not the quantity-but it's definitely not the sulfites. Histamines a compound released by cells in response to injury and in allergic and inflammatory reactions are found in the skins of grapes.
To make red wine, the fermenting juice sits with the skins, giving it that red color, bitterness tannins , and, yep, histamines. These are to blame for the achy head you might get from that pinot noir, according to Simonetti. On a positive note, did you know wine contributes to a healthy gut? To see if you're sensitive to histamines, flip your palm up and, using the opposite hand, make a " " sign on the inside of your forearm.
If it turns red in a few seconds, that means your body is particularly sensitive to histamines, says Simonetti. Many asthmatic people will likely fall into this category, she says. Natural sulfites are just that, totally natural compounds produced during fermentation. And you cannot escape them. Sulfite-free wines do not exist. It is literally literally impossible. No way. Added sulfites preserve freshness and protect wine from oxidation, and unwanted bacteria and yeasts.
Without added sulfites, a Bordeaux would be considered trash vinegar rather than a treasure.
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