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Q: Can anyone give me a list of wines that do not contain sulfites? A: Sorry...there's no such thing. Sulfite is a naturally occuring bi-product of fermentation. Any fermented product contains some sulfite...and that includes bread, soy sauce, beer, etc. It is true that for centuries winemakers the world over have added tiny amounts (parts per million) of additional sulfite to act as an anti-oxidant. The amounts of sulfite in wine are so minute that they seem only to bother the most hyper-allergic...and you are much more likely to find quantities of sulfite that might cause a reaction on restaurant salad bars or in fresh seafood cases at the market. Because of modern winemaking techniques (micro-filtration, etc)today's wines have the least quantity of sulfite that they have ever had. These small amounts won't hurt you. In fact, they may even be beneficial. Here's some sound scientific advice from someone who not only attended and passed High School Chemistry but went on to earn a Master of Science in Public Health Microbiology, WINE EXPO-ista Linda Olsen Weber, R.E.H.S., M.S.:
That being said, there are a number of wineries who make it a policy not to utilize sulphur in either the vineyard or in the winery, and so there is just the bare, natural minimum in their wines. Frog's Leap (who makes terrific Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon) and Frey (best for their Zinfandel and Petite Sirah) in California, for instance, follow that regime. In France, it's mostly red wine producers. There's the famous Domaine Tempier as well as Domaine de Gautiere in Provence, and Breton, Foillard, Thevenet, and Lapierre in the Morgon district of Beaujolais (four of the infamous, super-naturalist "Gang of Five"). |
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