Recently my friend Bev and I were discussing the benefits of wine, how it's fermentation makes it a low glycemic beverage. "But have you ever read the fine print on a wine bottle?" pointing to the label she read, "Sulfites Added", and asked wide-eyed, "What's that?" "I don't know, I will have to look that up." was my response. It usually says somewhere in tiny print on most wine bottles, "Sulfites Added". So just what are these "sulfites"? Another health threat? Well, not really. Like peanuts are a threat only to some, it's the same with sulfites. They are natural substances "found on grapes, onions, garlic, and on many other growing plants, and no wine can be 'sulfite free'." Apricots are naturally high in sulfites, 2 ounces contain about ten times as much as wine, so they are a type of "allergy test" for those predisposed. Throughout history man has added sulfurs or sulfites to wine or wine barrels to prevent dangerous organisms from growing in the wine. Without adding these, your wine will last at best 18 months and that includes bottling, store shelf and your shelf life at home. If you do have an allergy and need a "sulfite free" wine, they are available according to the article referenced. The article enntitled Sulfites and Wine can be found at Wine Intro.com and states "How Free is Sulfite Free?
The ATF, the governing body for wineries in the US, allows wineries to call a wine sulfite free when the levels of sulfites are under 10 parts per million (ppm). This is much lower than many sulfite-rich foods like dried apricots."
So click on Sulfites and Wine to get the details, and, unless you are allergic, enjoy your next glass of wine!
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