Wine Intro with Lisa Shea Logo  Search For:   Wine Newsletter
Sulfites and Wine  What Are Sulfites?  The easy way to see if
sulfites are a problem are for you is to eat a food high in
natural sulfites - say, dried apricots. On average, 2oz of dried
apricots have 10 times the sulfites as a glass of wine does. If
you eat those apricots and have a reaction, now you know it's
time to talk with a doctor.  Wine Amphorae Why Add Sulfites to
Wine? Winemakers have been adding additional sulfites to wines
for millenia. The Greeks and Romans used sulfur candles to
sterilize their wine barrels and amphorae. Sulfur protects
damage to the wine by oxygen, and again helps prevent organisms
from growing in the wine. This allows the wine to "last longer"
too, which lets it age and develop all of those complex flavors
we all love and enjoy so much. If you didn't add sulfites, the
wine would turn into vinegar in a matter of months.  What's the
Problem with Sulfites? Sulfite allergies are a problem for some
wine drinkers, just l