A Little Vineyard Education!

Did you know that all wine, even if it states “sulfite-free,” has sulfites? When you see “sulfite-free” what they are really saying is that no sulfites were added. Sulfites (or sulfur dioxide, SO2) are naturally created during the fermentation process so, there’s no getting around sulfites. If you’re a health conscious person, just know you actually want some sulfites in your wine. Acting as an antimicrobial, they prevent your wine from tasting like vinegar or worse. It also allows for longer shelf life and maturing after it leaves the winery, guaranteeing that when you open it at home, you’ll get a clean, fresh taste. Since the 1800’s, Paso Robles is known for its sulfur hot springs but, did you know we spray our vines with sulfur? We use careful sustainable viticultural practices and spray Sulfur, to ensure healthy grapes (i.e no rot) and to greatly reduce the need for SO2 additions during the wine making process. The amount of sulfites in a wine is regulated and if it’s above 10 parts per million (ppm), it has to be stated on the label.

Very few people are sensitive to sulfites, unless you have asthma or don’t have the necessary enzymes in your body to break it down. To determine if you are sensitive, eat some dried fruit.  Dried fruits have 10 times more sulfites than wine, and one piece has about the same amount of sulfites as a glass of wine. If you have no issues with dried fruit then, you’re good to go.

How often have you had a glass of wine and a headache comes on? There are a few reasons why but more than likely, it’s not due to the sulfites. It could be the the quantity of wine you are drinking or it is probably the histamines which are found in the skins of the grapes as they sit in their fermented juice or natural oak aging.