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WINEMAKING Making Sense of Sulfites F ew tools in the winemaker's bag of tricks spark more discussion, controversy and confusion than sulfites. Most enologists trust the embattled molecules to safe- guard their carefully crafted wines from the ravages of oxidation, microbial contamination and premature aging. Many consumers, on the other hand, know little of sulfites' benefits, assume they're unsafe and prefer their wines to be sulfite-free– often based on little more than the stuff's undeservedly bad reputation. Peter Granoff, master sommelier and managing partner of the Wine Merchant and Wine Bar Highlights • Few winemakers today use a heavy hand with sulfites, but con- sumers still worry about health risks. • Exposure to sulfites aggravates existing asthma symptoms— though typically not headaches, which is a persistent myth. • The author, a science writer, reviews the worries that resulted in "Contains Sulfites" on wine labels and puts them in perspective. stores in San Francisco and Napa, marvels at some of the myths circulating among consumers. He finds one oft-repeated canard, informally known as the European travel problem, especially ridiculous. "I've heard stories where consumers come back from Western Europe and have either talked to someone at a winery or a restaurant and have been told that sulfites are not used in Europe, but are added specifically for the American market." That, Granoff says, "is complete poppycock." In fact, travelers would find that the same European wine they believed to be sulfite-free must wear a "contains sulfites" label in American stores, as they are required for export to the United States. Further confusing the issue, U.S. winemakers can't call their wine organic if they add sulfites, but Europeans can. "Rules differ depending on the wine's country of origin," Granoff says, "which only makes it that much more befuddling for the average individual." To make matters worse, vintners who add elemental sulfur to grapes on the vine (mostly as a fungicide) can call them organically grown, but winemakers who add sulfites to organi- cally grown grapes anytime during the winemaking process can't call the wine organic. When consumers seeking clarification go online (which they're doing in increasing numbers, according to a recent Pew Research Center study), they're bound to get even more confused, not to mention misinformed. They'll read that sulfites—referring to sulfur dioxide and its derivative forms—are unnatural additives, cause allergic reactions, trigger migraines and destroy a wine's sensory qualities. Organic vs. unsulfited wines Consumers who are worried about sulfites are showing more interest in organic wines. In a Nielsen Co. review of web-based chatter about why people bought organic wines last year, much of the "online buzz" focused on "less sulfites." Europeans expressed a similar bias against sulfites in a 2006 survey funded by the Euro- 52 Wines & Vines JAnUARY 2011 How to answer customers' questions about sulfites and health By Liza Gross