| If you enjoy a glass of wine with dinner or just | | | | add it in the first place. Having said that though, |
| sipping it after a long day of work, relax, you | | | | most wine makers believe that the 'purist' wine is |
| don't have to give it up because it has too many | | | | the best wine so they will not add any more than |
| sulfites. There are wines without sulfites. | | | | is absolutely necessary to keep the wine balanced. |
| Sulfites occur naturally in any food or drink that | | | | When the winemaking process is complete most |
| has been fermented such as bread, beer and | | | | wines will have between 30 and 150 ppm of |
| wine. | | | | sulfites this is about the same amount as dried |
| Congress passed a law mandating that every | | | | apricots. The U.S. government puts a limit on the |
| bottle of wine contain a warning label if the sulfite | | | | sulfites allowed in wine at 350 ppm. |
| level was over 10 parts per million (ppm). This | | | | The sweeter the wine the higher the sulfite level. |
| was done largely because there was evidence to | | | | White sweet dessert wines have the highest |
| suggest that asthmatics could have a bad reaction | | | | levels than medium sweet white wines, blush, dry |
| to high sulfite levels. | | | | white and dry red with the lowest levels of |
| Most wines have between 10 to 20 ppm of | | | | sulfites. |
| sulfites naturally even before the wine maker | | | | If you want to find a wine without sulfites just |
| adds any, therefore all wines except those | | | | ask your online wine store or your local wine shop |
| specifically made organically have to carry the | | | | for wines that have less than 10ppm (this is |
| warning label. | | | | considered no sulfites by the government so they |
| Sulfur dioxide and oxygen work together in the | | | | don't need a warning label). There are wines that |
| wine to help stabelize it and prevent it from | | | | will fall into that category, you may have to look |
| turning into vinegar or deteriorating from | | | | but they are out there. |
| exposure to oxygen. That is why wine makers | | | | |