The Politics of “Green Wine”—and Added Sulfites

Thanks for pointing this out. A handful of dried apricots probably has more sulfites than a glass of red wine, and indeed white wine has more sulfites than red. At the same time, many people do have a better experience with organic red wine. Worth a try at least.
Debbie
http://www.organic-food-and-drink.com

Thanks Hanna for the story. One thing I think is being over looked in the headache controversy; added sugar for juice with low sugar brix. Wine makers more often than most people think add sugar during the wine making process. It’s the alcohol converted from the added sugar that gives you the headache.

I had no idea white wine has more sulfites than red. I’ve learned a lot about organic wine in just a few paragraphs.Thanks.

so, first you tell someone (wrongly) that red wine headaches may be the result of sulfites. then you tell us(wrongly) that winemakers add sulfurous acid to wines. what they actually add is sulfur dioxide(SO2) not sulfurous acid (H2SO3). please give up this dream of being a wine writer; before we all die from your ‘information’.

David I could not agree more! SO2 comes from potassium meta bi sulfite. Good winemakers add only what is necessary to achieve a free So2 level. The amount of actual K Meta used is determined in large part by the PH of the wine. A well balanced wine with a ph of 3.6 requires 60 ppm. If makes no difference if it is white or red. In fact whites often have a lower ph requiring less So2 At the end of the day An organic wine probably has the same So2 added as any other. Cheap wines with flawed grapes are often subject to high so2 levels prior to and after fermentation especially if the ph is over 4.0 In addition your claim that 100ppm is the maximum amount to be called certified organic is a carnard. Most wines don’t have to exceed 80ppm if they are good. Tell you friend to drink better wine. And do better research in the future.

Cheers to fiorot and David for speaking out. I can not believe this article got picked up by winebusiness.com! The editor should be fired for posting it.

Hannah you need to take an enology course in wine making science or viticulture or both before you write another article on the science of wine.

After 20 years in the wine business, it has been my experience that over-consumption and poor diet are more the cause of hang-overs (headaches). There is some type of sulfite in most dried foods, not just fruit. So if your morning cereal, sausage or bacon aren’t causing headaches, don’t blame the wine.

To Adam about the other myth, sugar added to wine. Chaptalization, is illegal in California and many MAJOR Wine Regions around the world. Although it is practised, the resulting alcohol is no different than that produced by natural grape sugar and will not cause any head ache. The RS (residual sugar) left in many wines will only cause the same reaction as the candy you eat at halloween.

Hannah,

I am surprised at the outburst of comments when you were only trying to talk about sulfites, which you do mention SO2, but do, indeed, say “sulfurous acid.” I applaud you for trying to help people and think the comments are way out of line – they obviously didn’t get the point of the article. And, at this point, anyone can only theorize about what causes people to get headaches from red wine – it could be sulfites, histamines, imbibing too much, or drinking cheap wine – if anyone claims they know, they should immediately put themself(ves) in for a Nobel prize, because the most brilliant scientific minds don’t know.

Studies have been done with people drinking wine and taking antihistamines and the results are mixed – people still get headaches; people still get headaches with most of the sulfites removed; so, where does that leave us? Where we were to begin with. Personally, I believe that people get headaches from wines that alcohol has been added to – in other words, the wine needs to be produced and sold fast, doesn’t have enough fermentation time and thus, pure alcohol is added to up the percentage – I believe this alcohol addition is the culprit – I say this because I have asked people which wine they drank to get an headache and it has always been a wine that I know alcohol was added to…

Rich.

PS: I am a winemaker, so I know whereof I speak – and while the negative commenters above are substantially correct, I think they need to take a chill pill – your article was about headaches, sulfites, and wine – not freakin’ chemistry!!

Thanks for the great article explaining some of the details about sulfites and the many kinds of “green” movements in wine. There is a cool sign that is just now hitting the market to signal consumers about the growing practices behind a certain bottle of wine. This sign that I am talking about is the SIP™ (Sustainability in Practice) Seal. In order to display this seal on their bottles a wine must have be made up of at least 85% certified fruit. The rigorous certification process requires sustainable growing practices from all angles; growers are required to prove to a third party auditor and then a committee that in their practices they have considered their duties to environmental stewardship, economic viability and social equity. These farmers pay a little bit more attention to water quality, energy conservation, biodiversity, and more. Grab a friend and grab a glass to raise a toast to this wonderful effort to bring sustainability to our wine aisles.

For more information about these new SIP™ Certified wines check out http://www.sipthegoodlife.org.

Got linked to this via twitter. As someone studying wine making, I have my own theory related to wines pushed through malolactic fermentation. I know a number of people who are quite sensitive to lactic acid, and really suffer when drinking reds that are typically pushed through malo and oaked chardonnays that have also undergone malo. The same people have no problems with Sauvignon Blancs, Pinot Noirs, Pinot Gris, and other varietals that tend not to be pushed through malo. So, I call lactic acid intolerance, NOT sulfide intolerance. Or, to prevent headaches, perhaps don’t drink the entire bottle

Cheap wine is harming the future of wine drinking. Weather it’s added sugar, grape concentrate, adding alcohol, using cheap grapes such as table grapes or some other bad business practices, new wine drinkers getting headaches will turn to other drinks.

Richar “outburst of comments” Rich “take a chill pill” you guys are a funny,you are more worried about the writers feelings getting hurt than see good information get out to the public . You must such sensitive fellows.

Wow-I am amazed by all the comments this post has generated. First, David: thank you for setting me straight about sulfurous acid. A winemaker I interviewed for this post told me he adds sulfurous acid (and he called it S02) and I did not fact-check that detail. I’m changing that right now.

I have no “dream of becoming a wine writer”—I write about food politics, and I’ve lately been learning about wine—particularly growing practices but also winemaking—as I cover this beat. So I appreciate all the insight and comments and I’ll do a follow-up post on sulfites to get at all the nuances I cleary missed.

Am particularly fascinated by what Fiorot has to say about cheap wines and PH levels–I had no idea, but that makes a lot of sense.

Fiorot,

Thanks so much for noticing my “sensitive” side – most people think I’m just a macho brute! And, seriously, I did not object to factual info – just the personal attacks – one can graciously state what one wishes w/out being mean-spirited, angry and spiteful.

Rich.

I’m actually the friend that got the headache, but what I also want to say is that my other reactions to sulfites in the wine I drank that night (which was a 90 point wine according to bevmo) were severe congestion, watery eyes, and skin irritation – all of which are symptoms of an allergic reaction to sulfites. From what I understand, I’m part of a small population of this group of allergy sufferers, but it’s also an allergy that seems to have presented itself in the past year, so you never know when it might hit.

I think the bigger moral of the story is additives and pesticides can have an impact on our bodies over time, and it’s important to be able to read about the alternatives one has, and learn about the wine makers who are adopting organic and sustainable practices for health and the environment.

Please check this out. I am told the human body actually makes sulfites. If that is true you are alergic to yourself. And if that is the case stay away from me. And Richard telling Hannah to do better research and telling her friend Gina to drink better wine can hardly be considered a personal attack where I come from which is far from the concentration of metrosexual winemakers as yourself.

fiorot,

I obviously hit a nerve. When you have nothing to say and can’t defend yourself, you go on a personal attack. You must feel very small about yourself and feel the need to attack others to make yourself feel bigger. It obviously isn’t working, because anyone reading your comments can see how utterly small and insignificant you are.

Richard.

fiorot,

The sad thing is that I wasn’t even referring to you and you took it personally, I was referring to George and David’s comments which were personal attacks on Ms. Wallace. And now, you have attacked me with what appears to be a racist, phobic, zeal, all because you’re insecure about? what fiorot? Your inability to correctly form sentences when you write? as in:

“writers feelings getting hurt than see good information get out to the public . You must such sensitive fellows”

Did you forget the “to be” verb? it should be “than to see” and “good information getting out to the public” as well as “you must be such sensitive fellows…”

fiorot, when you attack someone, you should be prepared for the worse – I am pointing out what you lack, not attacking you – I’m using your own words to defeat you – it’s easy, believe me. So, why don’t you quit while you’re ahead – or do you want to come back with something witty and relevant like “you’re an idiot?”

Richard.

5oz of orange juice has more sulfites than 5oz of wine. I know crazy. I have spoken

Richard,
I will take issue with any “winemaker” who states the subject is not about chemistry. It absolutely is about “freaking chemistry”.

The article was titled, “The Politics of Green Wine and Added Sulfites”, more it was then posted on a well respected wine professional informational site. In my opinion, and I have been at this for over 20 years, this is a technical subject involving the scientific disciplines of Chemistry, Biology, Math, and Physics. Hannah if I offended you, I apologize, however, in my opinion it was poorly researched and rushed to print. The editor of winebusiness.com that posted this should have reviewed the content more closely. There are some simple facts the responders seem to be getting away from. These are:

Sulfites naturally occur in living organic compounds. Humans produce them as do wine grapes. The addition of SO2 to wine in the U.S. is usually between 25-65ppm. Most average around 50ppm and that is sufficient to offset oxidation. Higher levels throw off an ugly phenolic that smells like burnt matches and hides the natural fruit essence of the nose in wine so a good winemaker, not trying to over-compensate for bad fruit will not use higher amounts. There are many foods in the U.S. that have higher additions of SO2 type compounds used for food preservation. Those who claim to suffer from headaches in wine at significantly lower levels will not complain about headaches from food they eat that contain massive levels of the chemical, yet will run to blame it on the wine. I appreciate the concern people have for those suffering from headaches after drinking wine, however, to conclude it is due to sulfites either natural or added is not reasonable. It will take a scientific study to pin-point the problem.

My Asian training tells me that the pain you feel is a signal that there is an inbalance in your system and a blockage of a major energy pathway exists. Weather the cause is sulfite, sugar, alcohol; or lack of vitamin, mineral or protein, concerns that particular person rather than a general over-all throw everyone in the bag type of study as each persons bio-chemical reaction to outside stimulus will be different.

Ultimately Richard it is about Chemistry, any well trained winemaker would know this to be true.

George,

You missed my point entirely – I objected to your personal attacks on people, not your comments – which may or may not be accurate and it may or may not have to do with lifestyle, exercise, healthy eating, etc. However, it could also be psychological and not chemical and may, may have nothing to do with chemistry. I did not disagree with your assertions, simply your methodology in arriving there – i.e., angry, virulent, personal attacks against people you don’t know (or perhaps you do know them, I don’t).

Please continue to make your negative attacks, insisting that people be fired and nasty comments about “wine writers.” My Eastern training tells me that people who engage in name calling and personal attacks have a very hostile energy force that necessitates them angrily attacking people who meant you no harm and that there is some unresolved issue in their past that drives them to belittle others. Granted, those others may be incorrect, but to insist that one be fired or someone else should not be a writer because of a mistake is representative of a base hostility (perhaps against humankind?) that does not seem called for in such a simple and innocuous discussion of wine.

This is particularly relevant given Ms. Wallace’s gracious comments, indication she was inaccurate and thanking you for your perspicacious comments.

Ultimately George, it is about polite social discourse without name calling and angry tirades at others… I have attempted to refrain from name calling and belittling either you, George, fiorot, or David – I simply was curious where all the anger and hostility came from – granted, I get upset as well over inaccurate information, whether wine, history, food, or whatever the subject may be, but I don’t attack the bearer – I point out the inaccuracy and refrain from childish slights such as your last sentence above and fiorot’s “metrosexual winemaker” comment.

If you have an argument, then state it, don’t engage in the personal. And admittedly, you lay out a great argument above with which I have no problem, again, I simply object to the silliness of the almost name calling or the “gotcha” that denigrates the other person and happen to agree with most of what you say. I simply disagree on your statement that it’s all chemistry – it is not. It could be anything – though there is room for debate that any psychological illness could be caused by a chemical imbalance and, as you seem to assert (though I don’t mean to misinterpret) that all things human are caused by body chemistry and either internal or external chemistry being the sole and source cause of any potential illness (headache or otherwise). Good argument and while I disagree, I am not calling you a name because you hold this view.

So, please can we just stop with the personal attacks and slurs?

Richard.

David, SO2 added is either in a gaseous form that takes on a liquid form under pressure. Or it is added as an aqueous solution sulfurous acid (it’s an equilibrium state) or made of K metabi. Some people will still sprinkle metabi directly as well. While in the old world, it might be added by burning wicks or disks in a tank or barrel which will dissolve into wine when it is moved or racked into the vessel.

Fiorot-typical harvest additions may be in anywhere from 30-50 ppm total SO2 based on health and pH of the fruit. These numbers go to almost zero free SO2 as the SO2 binds with sugars, aldehydes and other chemicals around in juice or fermenting must. Quality may not have to do with how much SO2 is added either. You can have high quality with high pH which might lead you to add more SO2. Ultimately free SO2 is what is looked at by most to control microbiological spoilage, enzymatic oxidation and to a very small degree normal oxidation. If a wine is aged for a period over several months, especially in barrel, the FSO2 will decline needing more. For a wine aged over a year in barrel, it’s very easy to get to 100 – 150 ppm Total while maintaining somewhere in the area of 20-35 free. Quite a bit to do with style of winemaking. If the wine is lower pH the FSO2 will have a larger portion in the molecular form which will require fewer additions than a wine with a higher pH.

Cheers

It’s a tremendous subject and I’m glad, as a winemaker that makes both non added sulfite and low added sulfite wines, that people are talking about it. Tons of missinformation but never the less, talking about it. I think Gina may have hit the nail on the head, it’s the “Total” of multiple type additions that are being made both in the vineyard and in the winery that may be a big part of the problem.

Hannah – Please do not be discouraged by these negative comments, and please DO continue to write on this subject. – your perspective is refreshing! If the chemists and the fact check police need a target, they should go after the KQED reporter who confused “sulfites” with “sulfides” in the little radio clip. The more interesting “food politics” angle is that to my knowledge, the US is the only country that makes such a big deal about added sulfites in wine. International organic/bd winemaking standards (including ecocert and demeter) are quite pragmatic and allow a level of added sulfites that exceeds what most winemakers would ever use. This puts US winemakers who want to “surf the green wave” at a significant competitive disadvantage.