Why Add Sulfites to Wine?
Winemakers have been adding additional sulfites to wines for millennia. The Greeks and Romans used sulfur candles to sterilize their wine barrels and amphorae. Sulfur protects damage to the wine by oxygen, and again helps prevent organisms from growing in the wine. This allows the wine to “last longer” too, which lets it age and develop all of those complex flavors we all love and enjoy so much. • What’s the Problem with Sulfites? Sulfite allergies are a problem for some wine drinkers. For them, the sulfites can lead to serious headaches. White wines have more sulfites than red wines, so this can be a way to determine if sulfites might be the problem. • What’s Different about a Wine Without Sulfites? A wine without added sulfites is drinkable by those allergic to sulfites. It cannot last long, however – usually 18 months is the longest a sulfite-free wine would survive. So while it is fine for “drink young” wines like Chardonnay, it would not be good for a “long aging” wine like a Zinf
