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+--- Thread: Sulfites in wine (/thread-16375.html)
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- Anniejo - 06-20-2000
My husband sent me a bottle of wine from Puerto Rico. It is called Sunrise Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 and then CONCHAyTORO. The back says that it contains Sulfites. I was curious what that means and also how do I go about finding out about this wine.
- pergamum - 06-20-2000
The "Contains Sulfites" label designates a wine that contains more than 350 parts per million of "sulphur dioxide." Now, before you pour this wine into the garbage because you think its tainted, there are a couple of things you should know:
First, sulphur dioxide or sulfites (the term the government uses to lovingly refer to this naturally occuring compound) are often added to wine as a preservation tool. Sulphur dioxide is an anti-bacterial and an anti-oxidant that occurs naturally in wine. It works to prvent wine from being invaded by yeasts and/or oxygen; which may actively destroy the taste of the wine and turn it into something that has a flavour similar to vinegar.
Second, the U.S. government starting labeling wines with the infamous "Contains Sulfites" label when, in the mid 80s, they discovered that 5% of asthmatics are "sensitive to sulfites." I wouldn't worry hower, your are at very little risk. Most wines contain about 100 to 150 parts sulfite per million.
Many wine makers rue the day when this label arrived on the scene, however, because using sulfites is often looked down on as a sort of "wimping out in the wine world," i.e., if you can't make a wine that preserves itself without additives to protect it then stop trying. But, in my opinion, wine tastes the same with or without sulfites added--many snobs may disagree with me. I hope I answered your question. . .I also hope that you didn't fall asleep while I answered your question.
- Anniejo - 06-21-2000
Pergamum: Since I'm from sunny Florida, I have my sunglasses on, lol. Seriously though, thanks so much for the reply and no I did NOT fall asleep. It was very interesting and I'm actually quite impressed that you know that much about it. Thanks again.
[This message has been edited by Anniejo (edited 06-21-2000).]
- Thomas - 06-21-2000
Unfortunately, the 350 parts per million is misleading information. There are two levels of Sulfites (SO2) in wine: free and bound. It is complicated, but the free is the one that can affect asthmatics, and no wine, except maybe a dessert wine, would have more than 50 parts per milluion of free SO2.
Also, any commercial winemaker who uses SO2 to prevent yeast infection or refermentation is a lazy, if not incompetent, winemaker. SO2 should only be used to reduce the chance of oxidation, which requires a lot less infusion of SO2 than would preventing refermentation; filtration is the better way to clean out yeast cells.
- Thomas - 06-21-2000
By the way, Concho Y Toro is a Chilian wine company.
- Thomas - 06-21-2000
Make that Concha Y Toro and Chilean....wish I could type and spell too.
- winecollector - 06-21-2000
Now if Foodie could just find the "edit" icon....
- winoweenie - 06-21-2000
WC, You know how up-tight Bucko gets when we edits our very own stuff. Winoweenie
- winecollector - 06-21-2000
Yeah, it doesn't give him anything to do, except sit around and taste wine!
[This message has not been edited by Winecollector (not edited 06-21-2000).]
- Bucko - 06-21-2000
You guys are cold, cold I tell you..... I'm taking back my Big 'ums magazines -- turn 'em in t the door.
Bucko
- pergamum - 06-21-2000
Foodie, I never knew that wine snobs existed that weren't concerned about the "little things" like spelling and grammatical errors--sorry, that was cold.
I'm curious (and ignorant) "free" and "bound," be a chum and explain it to us--we're all highschool graduates here. I'm sure its about as easy as spelling "million" correctly. owwwww! No really, I'm curious. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/tongue.gif[/img]
- Thomas - 06-21-2000
Edit button? The last time I tried using it nothing happened; I must have waited a millUion hours.
Pergamum: free and bound, hmmm. It is something like this, and maybe Dick Peterson will get into the fray.
When you add SO2 to wine some of it is gobbled into solution and some stays "free" or suspended. The free stuff can be inhaled; ever notice a match-like burst emanating from a glass of young wine? That would likely be free SO2. The free stuff also protects against oxidation.
As the free SO2 dissipates over time, each addition of SO2 to make up for loss along the winemaking route also adds more binding SO2.
SO2 is measured, then, two ways: free and bound. The 350 ppm you referred to is likely the limit for bound SO2. If free were ever that high the wine would suffer from a powerful odor and more asthmatics would be exposed. Most wines fall into the range from 20 to 40 ppm free SO2, usually more than enough to keep oxygen at bay.
Additions of SO2 depend upon the wine's ph and handling. A low ph helps to require less additions of SO2 (high protective acidity makes that possible) too much handling of course exposes wine to oxygen and thereby requires careful SO2 monitoring.
Hope this helps. I know I have skimmed and by-passed a lot.
- pergamum - 06-21-2000
Thanks foodie. Sorry about the jibes--bad day at work. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]
- winoweenie - 06-21-2000
Don`t apologize Per ole` cock. If Foodie dint need the jab for this post it only averages out for the ones we miss. Don`t coddle, And NO SNIVELING ! winoweenie
- pergamum - 06-22-2000
winoweenie, are you drunk right now?
- Bucko - 06-22-2000
Don't you mean *still.*
- Wallace - 06-23-2000
Foodie, I e-mailed your comments to Doc Peterson who shot back the following:
That's a pretty good explanation, Jim. The Only improvement would be to explain that ALL the SO2 added to wine goes into solution. The "Free" remains as simple, dissolved SO2, ready to react with oxygen and, in so doing, protect the wine flavor and other goodies from air. Some of the added SO2 reacts with a certain class of compounds in an unusual way. This can't
be stopped, it just finds the stuff it wants to bind with and does it. It ties up with the compounds 'loosely' -- tight enough to make the 'bound' SO2 unavailable to act against oxygen, but loose enough to be released again as SO2 under certain chemical conditions (the bound SO2 is not released in wine to become 'free' again but it can be released in other chemical situations).
For practical purposes the 'bound' portion of added SO2 is just wasted. It's a 'flavor tax' you have to pay to get the free you want in the wine.
Worse, it has a funky taste that many people don't like but can't quite put their finger on in judging. Personally, I think a high level of 'bound' SO2 in wine ruins the taste, and there's no way to recover that wine without waiting until next season, then adding the high SO2 wine in small amounts to
a new fermentation of the same grape variety. The new, vigorous fermentation
can sometimes reverse the binding and give you a clean wine again. Of course, you now have a blend of two vintages instead of one pure one, but, if you can keep the old stuff under 5% it will be legal to do that. Now you know one of the secrets of great winemakers who have to bring a small amount
of dead wine back to life. Dick P.
- Thomas - 06-23-2000
Thanks Jim, I tried to be as untechnical as I could with the explanation, and quite frankly, I don't think I fully understand that whole free and bound stuff....
I agree with Doc on the taste of too much bound SO2--the closest I can come to in describing it is "rubber."
- Bucko - 06-23-2000
You may wonder, how does Foodie know what rubber tastes like? Have you tried his squid........? [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]
- winoweenie - 06-25-2000
O.K. you`se guys, I`m back to defend my fragile psyche. Of couse I was drunk when I made the posting. How in the blue blazes can you roam this site without a glass or Five? It`s hard for me to see how this thread that was begun as a sulfite question ends up with Bucko taking his jacks and rubber ball and going home. Shame on you fellers for pickin` on the good Dr. Winoweenie