So, if Sulphites can be potentially dangerous, why doesn’t everybody make sulphite free wine?
Sulphite free wine will never be produced in commercial quantities for a variety of reasons, the main one being that it’s not commercially viable. Only a small percentage of people have an obvious reaction to sulphites so it’s perceived by the big retailers as a small problem for the minority. It’s also very difficult to physically produce low sulphite or sulphite free wines, requiring a variety of additional measures (and extra expense) to do the various jobs that sulphur does. But perhaps most important is the risk factor. When making a wine with low (or no) free sulphur the slightest error can result in the whole batch being ruined, and the vineyard owner’s money goes down the drain. It only takes a brief power cut or a machine failure at bottling, a tiny leak or a seal not sitting properly and there isn’t enough sulphur to combat the oxygen in the air, and everything is ruined beyond repair. A small number of dedicated perfectionists make these low sulphite or sulphite free wines w
