Sneaky Sulfites Cause Splitting Headaches, or Do They?
The truth behind sulfites used in wine.
By Gary Cunningham
You've had a lovely evening with good friends a delicious bottle of red wine. But with the rising sun comes a pounding headache. "Darn sulfites!" you mutter, searching for thebottle of aspirin. But not so fast, sulfites may not be the cause of your pain.
I recently read an article from the SF Chronicle titled, "Reconsidering sulfites: Progressive vintners weigh the pros and cons of the controversial winemaking tool," by Wolfgang M. Weber. It answers many questions about SO2, its effects and the myths that surround it. While the article itself is too large for this publication, I believe I can highlight a portion of it here and answer a great many questions we all have about the use of sulfur as a winemaking tool.
Often when I am providing wine samples for new customers I am asked to address their response to the headaches they perceive are a result of their wine consumption. Let mequote this article, answering the question:
Q: Do sulfites in red wine cause headaches?
A: "While it is true that exposure to high levels of SO2 is an unpleasant experience, there is no hard evidence that proves sulfites and SO2 cause migraines in red wine drinkers. A phenomenon often called "red wine headaches" is a combination of several things, with histamines considered one likely major factor. High levels of alcohol and residual sugar are also far more likely culprits than sulfites. When it comes to the negative effects of sulfites, asthmatics are the most vulnerable and need to closely monitor their intake of sulfites - or avoid them altogether. It's worth noting though, that many foods - dried fruit, for instance - contain higher levels of sulfites than wine."
Q: Do red wines contain more sulfites than white wines?
A: "The higher levels of tannin in red wine mean winemakers use less total SO2 in red wines than in whites. Dessert wines, because of their high levels of residual sugar, have even greater levels of added sulfur."
Call it personal conviction or a desire to farm our vineyards as sustainably as possible; when it comes to sulfur I believe less is more. We think wine made with as little sulfur as possible creates a cleaner product. As with any food production, the less intervention by man, the healthier the end result. According to Weber, "Organic wines don't contain sulfites." Since sulfur dioxide is a naturally occurring byproduct of fermentation, it is difficult to produce a wine without any sulfites. Natural and organic wines do contain small amounts of the compound. However, cleaner fruit produces clarity and a better, purer wine profile.
The message is clear here! It appears that sulfite in wine is NOT the culprit many people have been led to believe. This is not a scientific study and I certainly do not place myself as an expert on the subject, but if you read enough about the subject, it is likely you will come to the same conclusion, less is better.
Info box:
Read Weber's entire article by visiting www.3horseranchvineyards.com and clicking on
"Reconsidering Sulfites". Gary Cunningham is the owner of 3 Horse Ranch Vineyards.
Contact Gary at info@3horseranchvineyards.com.
Labels: sulfites
