Scientists have developed a new way to preserve grapes and wine which could lessen the effects of the morning-after hangover.
Many drinkers develop a headache and other symptoms after a few glasses of wine not because of the alcohol but because of the sulfite preservatives which are added.
Sulfites occur naturally at low level but are routinely put into wine - particularly reds to maintain color and stop them turning a muddy brown.
Sulfur dioxide (SO2), or sulfites as they are best known in the wine world, is a chemical compound that occurs naturally at low levels during the process of wine fermentation. It is also added by many winemakers during the fermentation stage of winemaking to protect and preserve the wine’s character, flavor and color. Sulfur Dioxide is both antimicrobial and antioxidant in nature - making it one of the top allies available to vintners, as it impedes the oxidation of the wine and prevents it from fermenting its way to vinegar. Sulfur dioxide is also utilized in most wineries as part of the housekeeping regime - harsh chemicals (think bleach) would be a tough sell as a cleaning option for fermentation tanks, equipment, hoses, valves and other process hardware so sulfur dioxide is often the cleaner of choice.
Keeping in mind that all wines contain some naturally occurring sulfites, if you are looking for wines with the lowest level of sulfites organic wine are your best bet, because by label definition “Organic Wines” are produced from organically grown grapes whithout the addition of chemicals (including sulfur dioxide). Sweet white dessert wines contain the most sulfur dioxide with blush wines and semi-sweet white wines coming in at a close second for sulfur dioxide content. If you are searching for wines with the lowest levels of added sulfur dioxide you will need to swing to the opposite spectrum and go for dry red wines for the lowest sulfite content, followed by dry white wines as the middle ground choice.
Posted by phatrasamon
