ShowViniste The Citizen Wine Blog

The anhydride is so sour that some distrust more than others. There he is now present on labels of our favorite wines as an additional health message: Beware I am present in more than 10 mg per liter!

But what exactly is that the total SO2 ?

First, it has many names, which does not inspire confidence, certainly a sign of abuse or cover-up! Sulfur, sulphite , SO2 , sulfur dioxide , sulfur dioxide , E220 ... here are some of these variations.

Then, just to make you even more afraid, the list of the most common methods to manufacture sulfur dioxide :

• Roasting all ores in furnaces sulfur, followed by purification (particle removal) and fast liquefaction of sulfur dioxide formed by cooling with ice and salt or compression.
• Liquefaction of gas produced during melting of non-ferrous metals such as lead, copper or nickel.
• Combustion of sulfur plates, following the technique of wicking wooden casks, which is always used.

But what are the uses of sulfur? First, it serves to produce sulfites, bisulfites, metabisulfite, of hydrosulphites, and sulfuryles thionyles compounds, sulfones, carbon disulphide, the thiophene ... Then its antiparasitic and antiseptic effects, the food industry uses it, for example, for food storage.

Its history dates back to the man with the foundation of our history where we've seen that already at the time of Ancient Egypt it was used as a preservative. Indeed, his interest lies in its inhibitory potency of some enzymes . Therefore, it prevents the oxidation of foodstuffs and strengthens food conservation. Of course, if you take the idea of ​​a plate directly ingest or inhale sulfur dioxide a little, you immediately get a toxic reaction. Its use following regulatory procedures so that its "toxicity" is noticeable only in susceptible individuals, reactive, as are some asthmatics for example. This results in headaches, digestive disorders, respiratory problems. Therefore, its inclusion is mandatory beyond 10mg/litre for wine. And of course you find it on other products.

On wine, sulfur dioxide is used for reasons of health precautions of vineyards, cellar equipment, the grapes and wine. The maximum permitted doses of SO2 can be up to 160 mg / l for red wines, 210 mg / l for white and rosé, and up to 350 mg / l for dessert!
Technically, the sulfur dioxide comes in two forms: free and combined. Free ie it is in the form of gas, it essentially protects the oxidation . Basically, it removes oxygen. CO2 is the same in the carbonic maceration. Combined as it is mostly associated with sugars and other molecules. This explains why more is needed for the sweet wines. Sorry for the worshipers of Sauternes ...

In general, the sulfur will be used at various different times. In the vineyard during the grape ripening as a fungicide. In the cellar, especially at harvest time to prevent the freshly picked grapes are partners too quickly fermentation. Then in vats to preserve some deviations during fermentation. Finally, to bottling, in order to keep the wine bottle. If you want to make a wine standardized, with the same flavor regardless of the year, able to withstand handling in the cellar, the various modes of transportation around the world and indifferent to disease of the vine, you have any interest to you used copiously. It will address the remaining yeasts on the grape berry to standardize all of the grapes and make room for yeasts "exogenous" chosen by the winemaker, more or less industrial, expected for aromatic qualities. Its antibacterial action will consolidate and eliminate some pasteurization microbial activity which often competes with yeast activity that are there to convert sugar into alcohol.

In conclusion, we can deduce two simple principles:

More grapes are healthier and less sulfur will be needed!
We want a more natural and less wine using sulfur!

I do not know what his time was up the wine, he already had a heavy hand on the sulfur or not, but it is true that as the wine of alcoholic fermentation proceeded, it became a liquid purified from bacteria which were found in abundance in contrast to water. Hence, this famous phrase, that we all hope authentic and valid today, Mr Shepherd : "The wine, the healthiest and most hygienic of beverages".