Sulfites and Tannins...

 In my winery employment days there was not a day that passed without a guest asking me about sulfites,histamines and tannins and why they get headaches or flushed when they have a couple glasses of red wine but were perfectly fine when they enjoyed white wine.

So began my easy, understandable explanation (without all the chemistry stuff). First off lets just clear up that there really is no real thing as a "sulfite free" wine. Not possible, not happening because sulfites are a natural by product of growth. They are compounds that are naturally found in the human body.  A tomato growing on a vine produces sulfites, an apple hanging off a tree has sulfites and on and on it goes. Once again, labeling on bottles is mostly controlled by marketing. Now many many people believe they react to red wine because of the sulfites. I remind them that red wine, unlike white wine is fermented with the skins, seeds, the whole deal except the stems. White is just fermented with the juice that has been squeezed out of the grape. Huge difference. Yes all wines have sulfites naturally from the growth of the grape and yes, most production facilities add some sulfites to help preserve freshness and to be able to control what the yeast and bacteria does during the whole amazing wine birthing process BUT labeling laws lobbied by marketing, allow X # of parts per million and if the wines are at that X # of parts per million, not over, then the marketing gurus call it "sulfite free" wine. It is not really free of sulfites.  Heck, a few dried apricots probably have more sulfites in it than a glass of wine.

Histamines are again a compound and are more likely the culprit that is affecting red wine drinkers but not always.  They are also present in white wines. Histamines can come from the grapes and the juices. The thicker the skins on a grape then most likely the more sulfites. For example, the Cabernet Sauvignon grape is thicker than a Pinot Noir grape. Folks who are prone to headaches or allergies or tend to be sensitive about certain foods probably are not friends with histamines at all.  Cabs are considered a "big red wine", not because of the size of the grape but because of the density of the grape skins. It can coat your mouth with chewiness while Pinot Noirs tend to be a bit lighter, not in color but in mouth feel, not so heavy so to speak.

Tannins, another compound, are present in red wines. They are found in the"must"and come from aging in wooden oak barrels. A red wine that we consider "young" ( harvested in the year before you buy it) versus a "mature" wine  (harvested a couple or more years before you buy it) will have more tannin present when it is open. Tannin dissipates in a bottle of wine over time. Upon sipping a tannic wine one may notice almost a velcro mouth feel. Some people love that mouth smacking kick and others not so much. It's all about personal preference. Again, find what you like, enjoy it the way you like is my philosophy.  Some "big red wines will taste richer, fuller and softer if they are open and allowed to "breathe".  Some folks decant them slowly, others just pop them open a bit before they are poured.  The science part of wine making is knowing how all these many and their are many, compounds act to connect and "build" the wine.  I like to imagine a bottle of wine filled with a connected chain, all linked together with these compounds to bring about the taste, feel and color the winemaker imagined in the beginning. I don't consider a wine "going bad" but instead I refer to it as "falling apart". This can happen when the wine is exposed to heat, direct sunlight and air...imagine the links letting go, one by one, by one...just a visual I have.

Marketing continues to attempt to drive the wine market with all kinds of gadgets, openers, stoppers, chillers, gauges etc. etc. etc.  I prefer to put my $$$ into the bottle of wine I choose and not into all the gimmicks that one can purchase to attempt to store an open bottle or remove air from it. Seldom in our home do we have to worry about storing an open bottle but if we need to I simply use a little plastic topper with a rubber insert that snaps onto the bottle, place it in the fridge (red or white) until I use it the next day in my cooking or sipping.  I let my left over red wine come up to about room temperature, just my preference. I like that wine is created to play with and enjoy and pairing wines with foods is yet another entire fun experience. One of the most enjoyable thirty minute programs I conducted with folks was teaching them the difference between taste and flavors. We eat foods because of both taste and flavor. I am all about food and wine and playing with both can bust a mouth with yum!

Cheers to your next sniff, swirl and sip!