The Urban Legend of Sulfites

By Contributing Columnist Richard Olsen-Harbich

You know all those urban legend stories -- like the one about alligators in the NYC sewers and the blind date that ends with you waking up in a bathtub of ice. Well, we have our own version of an urban legend in the wine industry. It goes something like this…

All of the stories are the same and involve a couple returning from a recent trip to Europe. The couple talks about how they drank wine like crazy and never once had a hangover. They reminisce about how they met local winemakers who told them  “American wines all have sulfites and ours don’t.” The couple agrees that when they are back home in the U.S. they cannot drink wine the same way and enjoy it as much. They insist that the sulfites used in American wine gives them a headache and they inevitably want to know why we have to use them. They usually try to stick to white wine because of the sulfites in reds. They never buy another bottle of American wine.

What’s going on here?

The reality is that this is an actual story that has been told to me many times. My answer to them is always the same: “perhaps it has something to do with you being relaxed and on vacation!” I tell them the reason they feel so good in Europe is simple; “You know, being away from home, the kids, the pets, the daily grind of work, sleeping a little later, having lots of 'intimate time'."

At this point most of them give me dirty looks and shake their heads in disbelief. Some of the wives will snort and elbow their husbands in the ribs. I try to explain there’s nothing in the medical literature proving sulfites have anything to do with headaches and that red wines contain lower levels of sulfites compared to whites. By now of course, I’ve lost them.

Whatever people may want to believe, one thing is for certain. The problem is not sulfites. It’s time for this urban legend to be debunked.

The fact is that many European wine producers are habitual, shameless liars. Though not required to put it on the label in their country of origin, many imported wines contain higher levels of sulfites than domestic products. European wineries are allowed to use far more additives than we are in the U.S. They invented additives for wines. For over four hundred years, European wine producers studied the effects of sulfur in wine. They learned to understand that good wine could not be made without its use. We learned everything we know about it from them and have continued to improve our knowledge.

Let's get one thing straight -- all wines contain sulfites whether added or not. Wines without any added sulfur can still contain anywhere from 5-40 milligrams per liter. The same yeasts that convert sugar into alcohol also produce sulfite as a by-product. The human body actually produces about 1 gram per day.

Dude, if that’s not like, natural, I don’t know what is. Chances are you will ingest more sulfites in your average restaurant dinner than from a glass of your favorite wine. French fries, scalloped potatoes, shellfish, soy flour, maple syrup, guacamole, sushi, olives, pizza, cheese, crackers, and fish -- the list goes on -- can contain more sulfites (in milligrams per liter) than most wines. The average bag of dried fruit and nuts contain about 10 times the amount of sulfites found in a bottle of wine. Why doesn’t anyone ever complain about Gorp giving them a headache?

Sulfite in wine was not an issue until the mid 1980s. Remember seeing those three-dollar an hour franchise restaurant employees spraying stuff over the salad bar? A couple of asthma attacks and a few anti-alcohol legislators later and -- voila -- we had a warning label for wine. Some European producers saw this as an opportunity to set themselves apart from their up-and-coming American competitors. Don’t be fooled -- all wine is made pretty much the same way no matter where it’s from.

Don’t get me wrong; the folks who are allergic to sulfites have to be very careful. The most dangerous reaction to sulfites involves anaphylactic shock that constricts the breathing passages and severely lowers blood pressure. This type of reaction only occurs in about 0.4 % of the total population or about 150,000 people. In comparison, about 4% of the population (about 11 million people) suffer from severe food allergies. As an example, peanuts are far more dangerous than sulfites can ever be. Since 1990, the FDA has reported 19 sulfite-related deaths -- none of them from wine. Most of them were from prescription drugs containing high levels of sulfites (200ppm and higher.) Peanut allergies alone result in at least 100 deaths per year.

So what’s my point? As I tell my customers, unless you are one of the few who are truly allergic, you shouldn’t worry about sulfites in wine. If you want to worry, there is something in wine you should be very concerned about. Alcohol is a well-documented toxin to the human body and a known carcinogen at high levels of consumption. It typically makes up 10-16% by volume of an average bottle of wine. What do you think has a greater chance of causing you harm -- 30 parts per million of sulfite or 12% alcohol by volume?

According to the National Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependency, about 105,000 people in the U.S. die annually from alcohol-related causes, which includes everything from falls to drunk driving accidents to cirrhosis of the liver. Add to this the tens of millions affected by alcohol-related illness and addiction. Sobering stuff -- I know, but part of enjoying and appreciating wine must include respecting it and practicing moderation.

As a society, we tend to react negatively to the awful sounding names that science has given some very ordinary and natural things -- many of which have been around far longer than human beings. The goal of science is to examine, identify and find the truth. We need to do a better job of stepping back and understanding the bigger picture. And the next time you’re in Europe on vacation, remember to enjoy yourself, drinks lots of good wine and set those little old, lying winemakers straight.

 

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The above article was written by LENNDEVOURS contributing columnist Richard Olsen-Harbich, winemaker and general manager at Raphael on Long Island's North Fork. These opinions and views are the author's and do not necessarily reflect those of LENNDEVOURS.

Comments

[Kristin]

Here, here!

[Charles Massoud]

Hi Rich,

Surpise! You are defending an additive you were accusing the wine industry of using, among ohers, in your prior article, to produce WMV?? So what happens to terroir and purity?

( I just could not resist. You do not need to answer this one.)

I heard this argument many times in our tasting room, slightly differently, however and perhaps closer to the reality. In Europe up until last November, it was not required to post on the label that a wine contained sulfites. Therefore many assumed that European wines did not contain any. A reasonable assumption.

By the way since November it is the law in Europe to post the sulfite statement on the label.

So there is no need to bash European winemakers as I doubt any of them made such false claims. Even disguised in a joke it is an unnecessary gratuitous swipe.

People complain from rashes and headaches and frequently attribute them to red wine or the sulfites in red wine. These ills are real but the culprit is not sulfites. The culprit is amine.

Amine, if present in wine, depletes a certain enzyme in our stomach that would have depleted histamines that come from such processed foods as bread, cheese, cold cuts, etc... People who react to wines containing amine will have a reaction to the foods that they consume. This is the pathway believed to be responsible for headaches and rashes induced by amine rich wines. Amines are believed to be produced by a bacterial activity during certain malo-lactic fermentations. Amine is not a very well understood topic but is not a frequent occurrence in wine.

So in a nutshell a wine drinker that does not suffer from asthma (and that is further not allergic to sulfites therefore) ( a WHO study says about 4 to 8% of asthmatics are allergic to sulfites) should have no adverse reaction to sulfite in wine.

Rich,

Your topic was a good idea to bring up. It is more effective to speak about it factually and less sensationally.

There is no need to resort to scaremongering about alcohol either. Most people know that too much of anything is not good for you. Why stop at or start with alcohol? Last article you left the impression that wine in general is more or less a chemical potion put together by unscrupulous winemakers who use all sorts of ingredients including sulfites. Now you defend sulfites but scare us about alcohol except to remind us that it is OK to drink in moderation. This tabloid approach to a serious topic does not do you justice.

Now if we can get back to some good wine!!

Charles

[Richard Olsen-Harbich]

I think you missed my point - but nice job on the amines! The use of sulfite and the pure expression of terroir are not mutually exclusive. On the contrary, real terroir could probably not be expressed without sulfite as (aside from being a natural by-product anyway) it really is a necessary part of winemaking, needed to prevent spoilage. After all, an oxidized wine with high volatile acidity does little to allow terroir to express itself. I put sulfur in a different category than the other additives I discussed in my first post. I believe it is quite different in that sulfur preserves what the wine already is -while many other additives try to mask and change a wines natural character - into something else.

I find the "scaremongering" comment interesting, especially coming from a wine producer. As a winemaker, I truly believe that (along side all other types of wine discussions and promotions) we also need to confront the realities of alcohol head on and face up to our responsibilities regarding it's use. The facts are what they are.

[Charles Massoud]

Rich,

Since we are snowed in let us carry the conversation, out of all places in cyberspace. Even though we seem to be the only ones who are participating!!

Of course I agree with you on the benefits of adding SO2 in wines. But your initial column did not leave room for such.

Your broadside did not leave room for sulfites or any other additives, that, for all I know, you use yourself. And as such it appeared to be a gratuitous attack on the wine industry, when you present little evidence. I did not miss your point I just think you over reached.

On scaremongering, as you say, the facts are the facts. I was just suggesting that there is no need to sensationalize them. It is an important topic.

Charles

[Steve Wirt]

There is an interesting bit here on organic wine from the only truly organic winery in the Finger Lakes: Four Chimneys http://www.fourchimneysorganicwines.com/whyorganic.htm
It addresses both Sulfites and sorbate compounds (which may be the cause of the headaches people complain of).

A second winery in the Finger Lakes, Silver Thread Vineyards http://www.silverthreadwine.com/ follows organic practices but is unable to be certified organic as he can not control what his neighbors spray on their nearby fields.

[Kathy Lovin @ The Vineyard Express Albuquerque NM]

Hi Rich~
In your 2/6 article, you mention that European wines often have more sulfite additive than American wines. Do you have any sources for this, as I am having a related discussion with a colleague. Neither of us have been able to find documentation, as such. Thanks! Chef Kathy Lovin, MCFE, Albuquerque, NM

[Rolf Eide]

Hello.
Thanks for interesting discussions. My wife is very alergic (one of the 0.4%?) and get rashes drinking wine (moderately). While we lived in Norway, it was possible to buy 3 liter cartons of wine, and she definetly got rashes of those. Does any of you know any wines that peoples tend to be able to drink without getting rashes? We are living in US now and hava found wine without sulfites added, but from reading the above, there may still be sulfites in that wine as well. Look forward to your reply.

Rolf

[Janet Geddis]

Hi,

Thanks for this article! I gave up wine two and a half years ago because it proved to be a Migraine attack trigger for me. I recently heard that sulfite-free wine could have me back drinkin' the stuff without problem, but the person at my local wine shop told me about the rumors you echo here. I appreciate your well-written, well-informed opinion.

-Janet Geddis