Sorry to have to leave the west coast of USA as a choice of wines and foods due to Fukishima Drift contamination of air, water and wildlife. Looking to find good red organic no added sulphite organics on our East coast that can be imported to Arkansas and sold at local dealers. Looking at Europe, Africa and Austrailia as well.
Where To Buy Organic Red Wine Without Sulfites
My wife gets migraines from most wines with added sulfites, but does OK with wines with only naturally occurring sulfites. But I have found that when asking about NSA and the like wines at retailers such as Total Wine, usually are met with deer-in-the-headlights responses as they look at me like I have a third eye.
To get away with a warning-free label, the product must contain less than 10 ppm (parts per million) of sulfites. This is why some organic wine brands can legally state they are sulfite-free, even though they contain natural sulfites.
These certified organic wines will have very low intervention during the winemaking process. This means preservatives, like sulfites, will not be added to the wine, and instead organic winemakers will depend on the naturally occurring preservatives in the grapes.
Our single-serving bottles are perfect for anyone looking to reduce their alcohol intake, without giving up the wine they love. Rather than committing to an entire 750 ml bottle, try one of our mini bottles today.
No matter how much or how little you know about wine, chances are you've heard about sulfites. Blamed for everything from allergies to hangovers, sulfites are compounds that naturally occur in the human body, certain foods, and wine. They can also be created synthetically to use as preservatives. As such, there's an ongoing debate about whether or not these compounds can spell trouble for your health.
But is there such a thing as wine without sulfites? 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.
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.
Sulfite levels are measured in "ppm," or parts per million. In the United States, conventional wines can have up to 350ppm of sulfites. By contrast, organic wines max out sulfite levels at just 10ppm, and they must be naturally occurring. Per the USDA, winemakers must add the phrase "contains sulfites" on wine labels when there is more than 10ppm.
If you see a wine promoted as "sulfite-free," be aware that it only means there are no added sulfites. The closest you're going to get to wine without sulfites (natural or otherwise) is an organic wine that does not have the "contains sulfites" label.
While all wine contains some level of sulfites, the prevailing myth has been that red wine has more sulfites than white wine. But the science doesn't hold. Sulfite levels depend on how the wine is made and how much sugar it has.
By comparison, white wine ferments for a shorter time than red wine and the juice doesn't have contact with the grape skins. As a result, white wine tends to have more sugar than red wine, thereby attracting more bacteria. And you know what that means: more sulfites are needed to halt these microbes from growing wild and ruining the wine.
The red wine headache is a common complaint attributed to sulfites. While there is some recent research that shows sulfite concentration in wine can induce headaches, there are other studies that indicate histamine is more likely the cause. As it turns out, red wine has significantly more histamine than white wine.
Another side effect usually attributed to sulfites is the dreaded hangover, that painful combination of throbbing headache, body aches, fatigue, nausea, and thirst. However, rather than blaming sulfites alone, don't forget to pay close attention to the alcohol levels of your wine since this could be the more probable cause.
While the jury is out on the effects of sulfites in headaches and other wine-drinking side effects, sulfites seem to play a significant role in triggering asthma. Some research shows a link between wine consumption and asthma, with 3-10% of asthmatic adults exhibiting adverse reactions to sulfites, including potentially life-threatening reactions.
Or, perhaps it's one (or a combination) of the 60-plus ingredients that conventional winemakers can use without disclosing on the wine label. After all, it's pretty hard to know precisely what's triggering an allergic reaction when you don't even know what's in your bottle of wine, right?
Natural wine, organic wine, and biodynamic wines are made using the least amount of intervention and chemicals as possible. Research suggests that these types of wine can offer greater health benefits and fewer side effects than those that are commercially produced.
It's also a smart idea to opt for low-sugar wines that don't need extra sulfites. Case in point: Usual Wines, which are made the Old-World way, in small batches from sustainably farmed grapes without additives or added sugar.
Sulfites have been long used to preserve wine's freshness and enhance its color and taste, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. But with so many commercial wines using dozens of other undisclosed ingredients (as well as production manipulations), it's no wonder a bottle of wine can open up a Pandora's box of health issues. To reduce your risk of any potential side effects, be sure to research your wine and look for "no added sulfites" on the label.
Fortunately, whether you're a wine lover whose tastes lean toward red, white, or rosÃ, there are a number of low-sulfite wines you can enjoy. To get started, pick a mixed pack of Usual Wines, which has plenty of the good stuff and none of the bad stuff. Because when it comes to sulfites in wine, less is more.
What is sulfite-free wine? Sulfite free wine is any wine that not only doesn't have added sulfites but whose natural sulfite levels are below a legally defined threshold. However, sulfites are a natural byproduct of the fermentation of grapes into wine, so finding a wine that genuinely has no sulfites at all is close to impossible. Even the vast majority of sulfite-free red wine, white wine, organic sulfite-free wine, and other sulfite-free wine brands typically have at least a tiny amount of sulfites in their wines. Just generally not enough to have any impact on the human body.
Aside from the natural sulfites resulting from the fermentation of grape juice into wine, sulfites are traditionally added to wine to act as a preservative and prevent the formation and thriving of various wine-loving bacteria. Wines labeled as sulfite-free or low in sulfites have minimal to no sulfites added by the winemaker.
Despite their reputation for giving people headaches, sulfites do not impact the majority of wine drinkers. People with an allergy to sulfites, or sulfur products in general, will likely have issues with sulfites. Still, in general, most people will not experience adverse effects from the sulfites in wine.
Unless you have a specific allergy or sensitivity to sulfites, you have more of a risk of getting a headache from wine due to overconsumption than from the presence of sulfites. However, people with sulfite allergies and certain forms of asthma should exercise caution.
Organic Wine is wine without added sulfites. Under the USDA National Organic Program, sulfites are a synthetic food additive. They are not allowed in organic wine or any other certified organic food products, such as dried fruits, jams, salad dressings or juices.
In over 30 years of organic wine making, we have never added sulfites or other synthetic additives to our wines. Sulfur is abundant in all life forms and takes many forms in living organisms. Small amounts of naturally occurring sulfites are present in wine and other foods.
Synthetic sulfites added to wine are used as a mild antioxidant preservative and stabilizer. Sulfites are added to wine in the form of sulfur salts, SO2 gas or sulfur dioxide solutions. They are commonly used at several stages in the winemaking process. They can be added at the crusher when the fruit enters the production stream and after primary alcoholic fermentation, final levels are adjusted before bottling.
Our wines usually range from 0 ppm to 5 ppm naturally occurring sulfites, though most measure 0 ppm. These levels are minimal when compared with an egg, which was shown to contain 6 ppm in independent laboratory testing.
The organic food industry has skyrocketed in the past few years. However, organic grapes account for only an estimated 5% of total vineyard acreage worldwide. But consumption of organic wine has been increasing, nearly 10% yearly in the U.S.
And then, there is the second phase of winemaking, fermentation of the grapes into wine. This is where it gets more confusing. There are a number of inputs that can be added to the fermentation process, but for organic certification, these ingredients must be specifically allowed and cannot exceed 5% of the total product.
Specifically, in the U.S., during the fermentation process, sulfites cannot be added to the wine in order to receive organic certification. While wine naturally produces some sulfites, they cannot be added. In Europe, the level of sulfites must not be greater than 100 mg per liter for red wine to receive organic certification.
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