Why do so many Australian wines contain sulfites and preservative 220 cause migraines?

Why is sulfur dioxide added to most wines in Australia? In Europe, the addition of preservatives is prohibited. I suffer from migraines.

—KP, Baulkham Hills, New South Wales

Sulfites are used as a preservative for wines throughout the world, but in Europe there are no laws requiring label disclosures as in Australia. This makes some people think that European wines are sulfite-free, but this is not true. Their wines contain the same amount as ours.

Additionally, there is no scientific evidence that sulfites in wine cause headaches, although people with sulfur allergies are an exception, but this is thought to be a small percentage of the population.

However, there are strict limits on the amount of sulfites allowed in various foods.

Sulfites, also known as sulfur dioxide or SO² (preservative 220), are used to prevent oxidation and prevent unwanted microbes from spoiling wine. White wine without sulfite quickly turns brown and stale. So this is a vital indicator of quality.

I don’t know anywhere where sulfites are banned. Even in organic and biodynamic protocols, SO² is allowed, albeit with lower maximum limits. However, there are many winemakers who make wine, especially red wine, without adding SO² (they can’t call it sulfur-free because some SO² is produced by the yeast during fermentation).

Most wine drinkers are not sensitive to sulfur, even the chronic asthmatics I know, but it is probably wise to avoid wines with the highest SO² content, such as sweet white wines and wines packaged in a pouch or barrel (pouch). in a box). And red wines generally contain less SO² than white wines.

The good news is that there are several inexpensive products you can add to your glass of wine to negate the SO², such as SO2GO, Just The Wine, and Pure Wine Drops. Some retailers sell them; if not, you can easily buy them online.

Finally, some drinkers may indeed be allergic to sulfites, but we shouldn’t automatically blame the preservative. A headache can be caused by alcohol, an allergy to alcohol, dehydration, a meal you ate with wine, or something else.

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