Sulfite Sensitive?

Ok, I’m nowhere near ready, but I guess the holiday season is here. I started seeing holiday goods the day after Halloween and I just broke down and bought some holiday cards (made from Kenaf, an eco-friendly fast growing type of Hibiscus). And if there’s anything that flows even more than eggnog this time of year, it’s got to be wine.

Now, some people say wine goes right to their head, but I’m not talking about feeling tipsy. If you’ve ever experienced a headache or that “stuffed up” feeling after even a few sips, the culprit is probably sulfites. Some people are even more sensitive than others and can experience an upset stomach or hives.

Sulfites are a natural product of wine making, so all wines will contain some. But if more have been added (to reduce the growth of bacteria) the bottle must say “contains sulfites.” So if you’re a wine lover and you’re sulfite sensitive (like me), look for wines without those two little words, or check out some of the organic varieties. Organic wine makers typically avoid adding sulfites – but not always. To be sure, check the label. Low sulfite wines will carry the words "sulfites are naturally occurring" or "no sulfites added.” Cheers!

Oh, one more thing - did you know?
-France is the world’s top wine maker followed by Italy, then Spain, then the U.S.
-164 countries import California wine
-30 million gallons of wine were lost in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
-10,000 varieties of wine grapes exist around the world

P.S. To learn about biodynamic wines, click here.

photo courtesy of iband

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