What are Sulfites in Wine? Are They Causing My Red Wine Headaches?
Recently, I attended the Raw Wine fair in Los Angeles - an event that showcases natural winemakers and winegrowers from all over the world. I tasted plenty of natural wines and found some new favorites to share with you all (more on that soon).
During the fair, I attended a panel of winemakers who spoke on their practice of making wine without the addition of sulfites and the challenges they face because of this.
For context: The practice of adding sulfites to a wine before bottling is a long and heated debate in the wine world. Some winemakers believe it's crucial for the preservation of a wine, while a handful would never even consider it.
I also need to clarify that many natural winemakers do in fact use sulfites in the winemaking process (in varying levels), however, a small few do not. There is also so much to say about what it means for a wine to be “natural”, but we will save that for another blog post...
The panel was moderated by the founder of Raw Wine herself, Isabelle Legeron MW (France’s first woman to achieve Master of Wine). She interviewed winemakers Rajat Parr of Phelan Farm in Cambria, Gelert Hart of AmByth Estate in Paso Robles, and Harold Langlais of Château Le Puy in Bordeaux.
Each winemaker uses different approaches in their winegrowing and winemaking processes, but they all had one thing in common - the lack of added sulfites in their wines.
I get questions about sulfites in wine all the time during my virtual and in-person wine tastings. It’s a topic that is largely misunderstood by many wine consumers, so I hope this post helps clear up some confusion.
What are Sulfites in Wine? Are They Causing My Red Wine Headaches?
Rajat Parr’s approach at Phelan Farm in Cambria is to care for the vine and avoid needing to heal it. His vineyard care is anything but unnatural, with the use of milk and oils to ensure the plants are healthy. This extensive care in the vineyard is likely a main cause for Parr’s ability to avoid the use of additives in the cellar.
Gelert Hart avoids the use of added sulfites because he firmly believes wine should be made in a traditional way, without adding or taking anything away. He also dry farms and uses biodynamic practices in the vineyard and cellar.
“When you add sulfites to a wine, you take its breath away,” says Harold Langlais, whose family winery stopped the use of sulfites in 1868. Langlais strongly believes no wines should have any sulfites added…ever.
While there are many different opinions amongst winemakers about why sulfites should be added to wine or not, I have to respect these winemakers’ skills. It was clear that they do face challenges in the absence of added sulfites - challenges that many winemakers are probably not ready to risk taking on.
These three winemakers are part of just a small group that avoid the use of sulfites, while most winemakers do add some level of sulfites before the finished wine is bottled. But is that such a bad thing?
This panel inspired me to write this post and help explain what sulfites in wine are, why they’re there, and the real causes of your wine headaches.
There’s a lot to discuss about sulfites in wine, and I believe everyone has a right to their own opinion. Mine just happens to be that sulfites are not the enemy. Hear me out.
So, what are sulfites in wine? What purpose do they serve?
Sulfites (aka sulfur dioxide or SO2) are chemical compounds used to preserve and stabilize wine.
Sulfites are added to help slow the chemical reactions in wine that result in the wine oxidizing and losing its shelf life. They are also used as an antimicrobial to prevent the wine from bacterial growth.
What wine has no sulfites?
All wines have sulfites.
Sulfites are naturally occurring in wine because they are a product of fermentation. This is why you’ll always see “Contains Sulfites” on the wine label when you’re in the U.S., even if the winemaker did not add any sulfites to the wine.
On that note, it’s interesting that sulfites are the only required ingredient disclosure on wine labels (probably the root of this issue), when there are actually over 70 additives a winemaker can put into your wine, approved by the FDA.
This is why I’m always harping on shopping small and buying directly from the winery when you can. Small production wines don’t need to make massive amounts of their wine and have it taste the same each year, so they don’t need to add things like Mega Purple to keep their wines consistent. Read more about what small production wine means here.
Plus, when you can speak to the winemaker directly, you can ask questions about the process and there is more transparency.
Note: If you’re interested in getting access to more boutique wineries and connecting with winemakers directly through a virtual wine tasting, be sure to join our monthly winemaker tastings (see upcoming events here).
I digress. This post is strictly about the addition of sulfites into wine.
How many sulfites are in wine?
The level of sulfites in a wine will vary based on how much the winemaker added at the end of fermentation, often just before bottling.
A wine’s sulfite composition can range from about 5 mg/L (5 ppm) to 200 mg/L (200 ppm). Different types of wines need varying levels of sulfites, but for example, a good quality dry red wine contains about 50 mg/L (50 ppm). Source: https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/sulfites-in-wine/
In fact, the concentration of sulfites in wine is less than that of foods we eat everyday - think: french fries, cheese, charcuterie meats, and dried fruit.
For reference, dried fruits can contain a sulfite concentration of up to 2,000 parts per million. That’s about 1,800 ppm more than the maximum amount of sulfites in most wines. Source: https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/health-risks-sulfur-dioxide-dried-fruits-3921.html
Are sulfites in wine causing my headaches?
Sulfites in wine are most likely not causing your headaches, unless you are part of a very small percentage of the population that does have a sensitivity to sulfites.
But if you don’t get headaches after eating french fries or dried fruit, chances are your wine headaches are caused by dehydration, tannins, or you might be having somewhat of an allergic reaction to the histamines in wine.
Should I avoid sulfites in wine?
Unless you have a sulfite intolerance, there’s no need to avoid sulfites in wine. Frankly, all wines have some level of sulfites in them, so it would be impossible to avoid them without cutting out wine entirely.
So, what causes my red wine headaches?
According to Harvard Medical School, tannins in red wine cause the release of serotonin in our brains, which at high levels may cause headaches for some.
Tannins are plant chemicals that come from the skins and seeds of the grapes. They are more often found in red wines than white wines because red wines are fermented with the skins and seeds in contact with the juices. While this process adds color, texture, flavors, and antioxidants to the wine, the result can also be the culprit of red wine headaches for some people.
You might also be having a reaction to one of the over 70 additives that could be lurking in that mass-produced wine.
How do I avoid a wine headache?
Drink a lot more water. Remember that wine is alcohol, so be sure to keep hydrated when you’re drinking.
Otherwise, try exploring different wines and see how they make you feel. Different grape varieties have varying levels of tannins, so you might find that some don’t give you as much of a headache.
The best thing you can do is shop small. Boutique wineries don’t face the pressure of making each vintage taste exactly the same as the last, so they don’t need to use crazy additives to manipulate their wines. You can learn more about the benefits of drinking small production wines in this post.
And be sure to stay notified about our monthly wine shipments and winemaker tastings, which give you access to exclusive wines from boutique California wineries and allows you to connect with the winemaker directly through a virtual wine tasting.
In conclusion, I don’t believe that adding sulfites to a wine is going to kill the juice. There are just not as many sulfites in good quality wine as you might have assumed, and they’re certainly not the cause of your wine headaches. Truth is, there are much worse additives in large production wines that no one talks about. More on that soon..
So, I’m curious…what are your thoughts on sulfites in wine? Leave a comment below and we’ll chat more about it. There is truly so much to discuss on this topic!
If you’re interested in booking a virtual or in-person wine tasting, learn more about the private sommelier services I offer here. And if you’d like to join a group tasting, check out our upcoming events here and our Wine Tasting Club here.
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