Q&A: Wine & Food Questions
How do I pick a red wine that I will enjoy?
Red wine tends to be a bit too strong for me. Recently, I was fortuante to go to Italy and tried their red wine and liked it much better. Our wine has sulfites in it, where Italy does not use those in their wine. Does anyone know where I can buy wine without sulfites in the United States? Thank you, Nicole
Answer From Expert Roger C. Bohmrich, MW
Let me try to help you by, first, clarifying the use of sulfites. It is true around the world, in every wine producing region, that 99% of all wines contain added sulfites. Italy is not an exception to this rule. In other words, sulfites as sulfur dioxide are added during the winemaking process at several stages and to the finished wine at time of bottling universally, wherever wine is made. The addition serves many purposes, among them as an antioxidant and antimicrobial agent. Sulfites at low concentration also occur as a by product of fermentation of grape juice into wine. You can, however, with some searching find some of the very few wines that are either sulfite-free or contain no added sulfites. One brand that may be easier to locate is Frey from California. Look for the "USDA Organic" emblem.
About The Expert
Roger has enjoyed a lengthy career in the wine trade as an importer and retailer, and at present he is an educator, speaker and consultant. He set up and managed Millesima USA, a New York merchant affiliated with Europe's leader in direct sales of fine wines to consumers. Previously, he served as senior executive of Frederick Wildman & Sons, traveling regularly around the world to visit wineries and taste the new vintage from barrel. Roger became one of America's first Masters of Wine in 1993.
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