Wines Without Sulphites
Wines without sulphites? The answer is unequivocal: they do not exist. Sulphites are one of the by-products of alcoholic fermentation. Now, every wine has to undergo an alcoholic fermentation, since it is during that process that the grape’s natural sugars are transformed into alcohol. And so, every wine contains sulphites.
Are you thinking… you could have sworn you had heard of wine without sulphites? It is possible. What happens is that the term “wines without sulphites” is used incorrectly. In truth, that expression ought to be corrected to “wines with no added sulphites”.
What Are Sulphites?
So what, in the end, are sulphites? As I mentioned above, they are a by-product of fermentation, one that occurs naturally in fermented foods, such as bread and — of course! — wine. Sulphites are the compounds derived from sulphur dioxide, which has sulphur in its formula. In oenology, sulphur dioxide has demonstrably been used for hundreds of years in wine production. Although it is believed to have already been used in winemaking by the Romans, there is no way of proving it. The oldest known written record of its use dates from 1487, in Germany.
What Are Sulphites For in Wine?
Sulphites perform various functions in a wine. Among them, I would highlight their power as a microbial stabiliser, since sulphur dioxide inhibits the growth of microorganisms that can interfere with and spoil the quality of wines. No less important is their antioxidant power. Since the ageing of wines is nothing more than an oxidation, sulphur dioxide — the sulphites — help wines to be better preserved over time.
In reality, wines may not need any added sulphites. Natural wine, or minimal-intervention wine, is proof of that. But it is important to know that wines with no added sulphites do not taste the same as conventional wines, and that natural wine is far from the taste profile of conventional wines.
Because sometimes virtue lies in the middle, we have arrived at a type of wine that is neither natural wine nor conventional wine, thanks to the advances in oenology and the wisdom acquired by winemakers. It is a type of wine made using the conventional method of wine production, but with no added sulphites whatsoever in its production process. In this way, one obtains an aroma and a flavour closer to conventional wines than to natural wine.
In minimalist winemaking, more raw, the central theme is to stop using sulphur dioxide without losing any of the wine’s qualities — which demands experience, wisdom and courage to work without the “safety net” it represents. Extremes aside, I believe that a homeopathic dose of sulphur dioxide at the crucial stages of production can be the difference between success and complete failure. As the saying goes, neither one extreme nor the other.
The Advantages of Wines Without Sulphites
If you get sneezing, headaches or even asthma-like symptoms when you drink wine, it is possible that you have an allergy to sulphites — or else that you drank too much. In the first case, know that the quantity of this compound found in a wine with no added sulphites is minute. So it is perfectly possible that you could drink this type of wine without showing those symptoms.
There are, in fact, several myths surrounding sulphur dioxide. The best known is that of blaming a headache on poor, defenceless sulphur dioxide. In all honesty, it is highly unlikely that it alone is to blame, and far more logical that the headache is the result of those few extra “glasses”, or of an intolerance to histamine (a biogenic amine) that some wines can contain. It is also worth knowing that, in wine, sulphur dioxide has legal limits far tighter than in other foods, where it can be present in quantities up to ten times greater.
The Disadvantages of Wines Without Sulphites
The disadvantage of wines without sulphites is essentially the uncertainty of the path they may take during ageing, and here I am referring in particular to natural wine. Compared with the wine that the winemaker produces — in which the only difference is the non-use of sulphites — this type of wine certainly has a path that should be more linear, or safer and more predictable, let us say, during its ageing, compared with the course of a natural wine.
It is always good to know that we have a choice. And in this case, the choice is yours. In any event, one more secret of the world of wine has been revealed. Hold on to the knowledge… because knowledge causes no allergies and never takes up any room.
From the page to the glass
None of our wines is sulphite-free. These three are organic and vegan, made with sulphites kept to the minimum the wine will take.
- 1808 Field Blend Beira Interior — An 80-year-old vineyard at 690 metres, 36 months in barrel, cellaring to 2062.
- 1808 Tinta Roriz — Beira Interior Tinta Roriz, organic and vegan, cellaring to 2034.
- 1808 Sauvignon Blanc — Sauvignon Blanc at 550 metres, where cold nights hold the aromatics.
