Sulphites in wine: what does this mean?
Contains sulphites: this phrase can be found on the label of almost every bottle of wine. But what may at first glance sound like a warning about harmful chemical ingredients is in fact an indication of an age-old, entirely obvious tool used in winemaking – and is completely harmless.
The key points
- Sulphites protect the wine from going off and preserve its aromas.
- Their use has been commonplace for centuries, even back in ancient times.
- A maximum of 150 mg of sulphur per litre is allowed in red wine throughout the EU.
- Generally no negative effects on wellbeing, unless you have allergies.
- Lots of foods contain higher levels of sulphur than wine.
Sulphites discovered on the label?
This may be slightly confusing: you may think that wine is a natural product made exclusively from grapes and their juice (the legal definition is, by the way, in the finest legal language: “Wine is the product that is obtained exclusively from the complete or partial fermentation of fresh and mashed wine grapes or grape must”), and then on the label you discover the strange phrase “contains sulphites”. So are there chemicals in wine after all?
What are sulphites in wine and why are they used?
In actual fact, with a very small number of exceptions, it is entirely normal to add tiny amounts of sulphur as a preservative to the fine drink when making wine, and they must then be declared as sulphites on the label. This is done to protect the wine from premature spoiling and to preserve the fruity aroma. That’s because on the one hand the element sulphur prevents oxidation, so it protects the wine from the harmful effect of oxygen, and on the other hand it inhibits the growth of undesirable microbes and yeasts, which would otherwise run the risk of turning the fine drop into unpalatable vinegar in a very short space of time. This use of a small amount of sulphur is by no means an invention of our modern, technological age, but has been common in winemaking for centuries and was even practised back in ancient times by the Greeks and Romans.
But even if sulphur is an almost irreplaceable element in the production of a good wine, some wine lovers still worry whether it might not be detrimental to digestibility and so have an adverse effect on their health. Here too, they can rest assured. That’s because firstly every serious winemaker approaches the addition of sulphur with the utmost restraint. The reason for this is that, in addition to the indispensable, positive effect that sulphur has on the wine, it unfortunately also has the disadvantage that it will suppress the bouquet of the wine if it’s added in too high a dose and can overwhelm the aroma in an unpleasant way. Secondly, the amounts of sulphur permitted in the EU are very strictly limited. For example, a dry red wine may contain no more than 150 mg per litre, but in practice the levels are generally well below these maximum limits.
Sulphites are not harmful.
Does sulphur have a negative effect on our wellbeing?
A decent dry German Riesling will usually contain around 80 mg per litre, although usually only around half of this will exist as free, active sulphur. Except in the very rare case of a sulphur allergy, you can therefore assume that the sulphur used in winemaking will not have any negative effect on wellbeing and digestibility.
The famous British wine author Hugh Johnson once summed it up when he wrote that anyone who thinks they get a headache from the sulphur in wine must urgently be placed on a strict medical diet. That’s because lots of other foods that we consume on a daily basis are treated with quantities of sulphur that are many times higher than the quantity found in wine. By comparison, the maximum permitted quantity of 150 mg of sulphur per litre in the case of red wine seems almost negligible: for example, dried potato products (such as mashed potato flakes) may contain 400 mg per kg, unshelled nuts may contain up to 500 mg and dried apricots may contain as much as 2000 mg.
The author
Frank Kämmer
I have worked for many years in high-end restaurants and in this time became one of the top sommeliers in Europe. In 1996, I achieved the title of Master Sommelier, the highest international qualification in my profession. Today, I work primarily as a consultant in the international wine and gastronomy sector. I have also published numerous books on wines and spirits and was the first German to be accepted into the British Circle of Wine Writers.
