What’s the story with sulfites and natural wine? Is it always a no-go to use sulfites in natural wine and why?
Sulfites and natural wine are almost a profanity when said in the same sentence. But why?
An important philosophy of natural wine making is a minimal use of sulfites. Sulfites are additives which can act both as a preservative and an antioxidant protecting against oxidation. It thereby helps to stabilize the wine and extend its shelf life after bottling.
Sulfites and natural wine
In conventional wine produced in the EU it is allowed to add up to 400 mg of sulfites per liter of wine – depending on the wine type and sugar content. In contrast, in natural wine a maximum of 30 mg per liter of wine should be added, but preferably nothing at all.
So why do you want to avoid sulfites in natural wines? It’s obviously both convenient and practical, if you want a wine, that always has the same taste. The disadvantage is, that it also somewhat “kills” the wine.
Sulfites preserve and thereby help to “close” the wine. The result is, that the wine can take longer to “open up” when it is time to drink it – if it’s possible at all. A closed (or might I say dead) wine will have a taste that appears less welcoming and honest.
Since natural wine is about manipulating or sculpturing the taste as little as possible, sulfites are used as little as possible to keep the wine alive and authentic.
Do you want your wine dead or alive?
The fact that no additives are used in natural wine and only a small amount of sulfites can be added entails, that the wine can continue to develop after bottling, e.g. continuing the fermentation in the bottle. In this way, the same type of wine can taste very different, and each bottle can contain surprising new flavors and aromas.
In a conventional perspective, this would probably be considered a flaw in the wine, but in the natural wine world it is simply seen as the character of the wine, giving rise to new taste experiences, and expanding the taste repertoire of the consumer.
You might not know exactly what you get when you open a bottle of natural wine – but that’s exactly part of the adventure when drink natural wine. To be surprised and overwhelmed by startling taste experiences!
