sulfites.jpeg

The word sulfites appears on the bottles of these Maryland and California producers.

(Paul Vigna/The Wine Classroom)

A story that appeared last week on the site of a local news organization profiled several men who are making mead, an alcoholic beverage created by fermenting honey with water, and frequently fruits, spices, grains or hop. Regional mead makers such as Millstone Cellars in Monkton, Md., are expanding the scope of this beverage, which is starting to find its way into the mainstream on the heels of cider.

One of the principals was quoted in this story as saying that "wine usually has sulfide added to it. We don’t add anything to [our mead].”

I'm guessing he meant sulfites (or it was just transcribed incorrectly), which are commonly introduced to stop fermentation and might also be added to wine as a preservative. It's often blamed for the headaches that people complain about after drinking wine.

I sent the quote and story to some of my contacts with a question about how much sulfites can be blamed for headaches. I also included a link to this explanation of sulfites, one I thought was comprehensive and yet written for the layman, and asked for reaction to it.



I'll post throughout the day the responses I received, starting with this long one from state enologist Denise Gardner. I'll put in bold the paragraphs that are less technically oriented.

She writes:

I always cringe when I read quotes like this.

First, we add potassium metabisulfite, which is commonly shortened to “sulfites” or “sulfur dioxide.” As you pointed out, the term “sulfides” is chemically different.

The post you sent is fairly accurate… although a little vague. He gives the EU maximum levels, with no mention of the U.S. probably because the U.S. has one standard total SO2 content: ALL wine processed in the U.S., regardless of type or style, has to be below 350 ppm total SO2 – free and bound. That’s TTB regulated, I believe. And, in general, red wines do usually contain less total sulfites, or, at least, they require less to sustain stability over long periods of time.

Also, as the post pointed out, most scientific evidence points to the fact that the greatest population at risk for sulfite headaches are asthmatics. I think most people believe sulfur dioxide causes headaches due to a widespread misinformed 60 Minutes episode back in the '90s (I believe that's what the cause was – may have to do some digging on this one). Also, that was at a time where the overuse of SO2 ran rapid in restaurant salad bars. It would be routinely sprayed on lettuce to keep it white.

Wine headaches usually result from some other substance in the wine (which could also be found in things like mead, fortified products, etc.), but the exact causes are unknown. The post mentions Histamines and tannins, but there's been little conclusive evidence to support the claim – although a lot of research is being done on this. I believe last year they finally concentrated Histamines in wine that they didn't know where there. But headaches can also stem from the rate or volume of consumption. (It's not the bubbles in [sparkling wine] that give people headaches, but usually the fact that people drink more [sparkling wine] in a shorter time frame. I guess maybe you can blame the bubbles – they make it so easy to drink!) That may not help explain red wine headaches, however.

I actually suffered from red wine headaches while living in Napa. They would get so bad sometimes, and happened a lot. It's actually what forced me to switch to drinking more lighter red wines more frequently than the bigger Cabs, Malbecs, Zins -– things like Zweigelt, Pinot Noir, even Merlot –- and stick to lower alcohol levels. I don't get those headaches as frequently anymore, but I still don't know what causes them for me.

I always tell people if they can eat dried fruit, especially things like dried apricots, then you can drink wine. So this post pointed that out. Most dried fruits are treated with almost twice as much sulfur dioxide as is allowed in wine. I would say, most winemakers try to keep it WAY under that limit, which most wines probably coming up somewhere between 100 – 150 ppm (that's a ball park figure based off analysis and observation over the past few years). Here's an article that explains the dried fruit a bit. But, it's important consumers understand that its use in dried fruit is also necessary for their health. SO2 helps inhibit bacteria or mold spoilage that may be harmful to consumers.

Additionally, it is considered a wine flaw if the SO2 can be sensed sensorially. Winemakers do not want the higher levels in wine.

Also, as far as I know, mead producers should still add potassium metabisulfite. I see its use recommended in all of the home wine making books. Mead producers will suffer from similar problems that winemakers face, so not using it is a stylistic/marketing preference.

This post pointed out that SO2 is a natural byproduct of fermentation – that’s true. So that mead still has SO2 in it (although it may be bound up to something; it’s still there). So I would say the one “wrong” thing of that post is that I don’t believe wines can be labeled “SO2 Free” – they can only label it as “No sulfites/SO2 added.” Because, again, no one wine is probably SO2 free. And just because something is local doesn’t mean it doesn’t contain SO2.

It always bothers me when people talk about "natural wine" – what is that? What does that even mean to consumers? All wine is natural, isn't it? You have to take grapes and ferment them to get wine – that's a natural process. There are natural microorganisms involved to make that happen, and as winemakers we take precautions to make sure those grapes don't spoil fully to vinegar. That's the natural progression, after all. Grapes > wine > vinegar. Wine is a transitional spoilage product of grapes!

The post mentioned acetaldehyde production: many wines not treated with SO2, have higher levels of acetaldehyde, which is formed through oxidation. Don’t get me wrong, acetaldehyde is a natural byproduct of fermentation in wine too, and sometimes we like it in things like Sherry, but it also develops excessively in wines that are not protected through the antioxidant activity of SO2. (Remember, SO2 is an antioxidant and an antimicrobiobial agent when used properly. The truth is, no other preservative acts this way.) That’s why many organic wines (not wines made with organic grapes) have such a hard time producing fruity, fresh wines – there’s no SO2 to protect them, and acetaldehyde production and browning typically go haywire – things we consider spoilage components of wine. Without SO2, you also run the risk of bottles refermenting (imagine red wine bottles popping in your dining room), acetic acid bacteria growth (wine turning to vinegar – don’t want to drink vinegar by the 750 mL volume), or just oxidize way too fast. None of these things are going to kill anyone, but they aren’t preferred components of quality wine.

Trust me, if the wine industry could stop using SO2, they would. But what consumers do not understand is that the lack of SO2 in the wine can actually attribute to other components in the wine, which if they reach high enough concentrations, could be harmful to consumers, too.

I think consumers naturally get scared when they see terms they don't understand. "Sulfites" is probably one of them. It sounds scary. Plus, if they start looking up how sulfur dioxide is produced or all the things that it's used for, then it seems like the food industry is usually a wicked chemical in their food. Maybe this is the fault of food producers… we break down food into its component parts and we talk about those individual components – those chemicals – like it's nothing. But I can see where the terminology would frighten consumers.



There was a neat poster that circulated the internet recently that emphasized this point."