What Are Sulfites in Wine and How They Affect You
When you are in a wine store in the USA or want to order wine online , have you ever wondered what are sulfite that is written on your favorite bottle of wine’s label? Sulfites are a class of chemicals that are used as preservatives in food and drinks, and they're also found naturally in some foods. In wines, they're used to prevent spoilage and oxidation. It has been legally used for more than 500 years, and it is known that ancient Romans used it as a preservative of wine in amphoras. This colorless gas with a terrible bitter odor is antioxidant and anti-microbial, functioning as a barrier against undesired bacteria or microbial development. These characteristics help to the freshness of the wine by preventing oxidation and, as a result, brownness. The common or traditional approach to the use of sulfite is to prevent the unintended fermentation of broken berries by wild yeast immediately after harvest or during crushing, to enhance the extraction of compounds from the skin