Sulphur Free Wine

Traditionally, winemakers add sulphur dioxide to wines for its antiseptic and antioxidant properties, preventing the wine from spoiling. However, the sulphur can cause allergic reactions of various types and severity, including headaches, rashes, low blood pressure, and breathing difficulties. How is it possible for winemakers to produce a wine without sulphites? The skill lies in creating conditions (hygiene of the grapes and the winery, vinification times and temperatures, selection of low-sulphite producing yeasts, …) that lead to the lowest formation of sulphites possible. One important thing to aware of is that sulphites are a natural by-product of the yeast during fermentation, so even if you do not add them to the wine, the wine will still contain a low level.That’s why it would be incorrect to label a wine as ‘sulphur free’. Howver, the amount of sulphites naturally occuring is under 10mg/l, often as low as 2mg/l – and from our experience people with allergies are not affected by these. We stock a range of European organic wines with ‘no added sulphites’, and we are constantly on the hunt for new options.