WHAT ARE SULPHITES IN WINE? AND SHOULD YOU BE WORRIED?

Every bottle of wine in the EU is required to state 'contains sulphites' if it contains more than 10mg per litre of sulphur dioxide. Which is almost all wine. But what are sulphites, why are they there, and do they actually cause headaches?

WHAT ARE SULPHITES?

Sulphites — or sulphur dioxide (SO2) — are a naturally occurring compound produced during fermentation. They also occur naturally in many foods, including dried fruit, fruit juice, and processed meats.

In wine, additional sulphites are often added at various stages of production as a preservative and antioxidant. They prevent oxidation (which would make wine taste flat and vinegary) and inhibit unwanted bacteria that could spoil the wine.

DO SULPHITES CAUSE WINE HEADACHES?

This is one of the most persistent wine myths. The scientific evidence does not support sulphites as the primary cause of wine headaches. People who blame sulphites often have no reaction to dried apricots or orange juice, which contain far higher sulphite levels than wine.

More likely culprits for wine headaches include alcohol itself, histamines and tannins in red wine, and simply drinking too much.

DO ORGANIC WINES HAVE FEWER SULPHITES?

Yes — EU regulations for certified organic wine set lower permitted limits for added sulphites than conventional wine. Organic wines can still contain naturally occurring sulphites, but added sulphites are significantly restricted.

SULPHITES IN LOCO WINES

All Loco Wines are certified organic and contain sulphites as required to be stated on the label — but at the lower levels permitted for organic wine. We add only what is necessary to keep the wine stable and fresh. No more. Available at locowines.co.uk.