THE TRUTH ABOUT SULFITES
How many times have you heard someone say, “I can’t drink red wine because I’m allergic to sulfites.”? These chemical compounds tend to have a bad reputation for causing negative reactions in wine drinkers. So, I thought we could take a closer look to find out what’s really causing those headaches.
First of all, sulfites are used in wine making to keep harmful bacterial or fungal organisms from growing and spoiling the wine. These substances’ preservative qualities are also used to keep dried fruits pristine–compare brown unsulfured apricots to the bright, plump pink-orange ones, which have been sulfured.
Sulfites have an antioxidant effect and prevent wine from turning brown (That’s a good thing.). Sweeter wines often contain more sulfites than drier wines to prevent spoilage or refermentation (when microscopic yeast cells hanging around on the bottle or cork or in the wine begin a new refermentation–not good!). And, although red wine usually gets the blame, often white wines contain higher levels of sulfites than reds.
Sulfite intolerance reportedly affects less than 1 percent of the population and usually manifests like a standard allergic reaction, with symptoms such as hives, runny nose, sneezing, and asthma. A mild headache–or hangover–does not necessarily indicate sulfite intolerance.
The sulfite stigma may stem from the legal requirement that all wines containing sulfites prominently display that fact on every bottle; however, many foods and drugs on the market have much higher levels of sulfites, but they are not required to say so prominently on the label–but, it will be listed among the ingredients. Other foods that contain sulfites include bottled (not frozen) lemon or lime juice, molasses, sauerkraut, and grape juices. If you’re not allergic to any of these high-sulfite foods, then most likely, you’re not allergic to sulfites in wine.
In addition to requiring that the presence of sulfites be indicated on the label, the USDA lists the sulfite content of specific wine categories:
Organic wine–10 parts per million (ppm) naturally occurring sulfite
Biodynamic wine–100 ppm added sulfite
Wine “made with organic grapes”–150 ppm added sulfite
All wine–350 ppm added sulfite
Here’s the thing:
Most adverse effects from drinking wine–like headaches–come from other things; for example, a histamine reaction, migraine sensitivity, or obviously– the presence of alcohol. It’s a good idea to alternate a glass of water with a glass of wine to stay hydrated and of course, know your limits.
CHEERS! 🌎🍷🥂
