Like Hamlet I can say: sulfites or not sulfites, that is the question!

Hi Guys,

Today I'd like to talk about a famous fallacy about wines so, first of all, look at the title of this review!

Done that?

Ok, there is no doubt and no questions at all and I'll try to explain to you what I think about it.

Everyone of us have seen the written word "contains sulfites" on wine bottles and many of us have understood something like: "Oh my gosh... I'm going to drink a chemical potion".

No, no, really don't worry folks, wine needs "sulfur dioxide" (sulphites) to preserve itself and human beings, usually, tolerate it with no problem.

Someone could be allergic to the sulfites but this is another task; generally our body has no problem synthesizing this fundamental additive for our lovely wines.

Sulfites play a really important role in the winemaking production chain, they control the fermentation and the proliferation of "bad bacteria" that could damage wines.

Obviously, like everything, the use or abuse of the sulfites is to the discretion of the winemaker.

If the grape is sane and it has picked up at the right grade of maturation and if it has treated well (with care) from vineyard to the cellar the use of sulfites can be limited and proportioned with no problems.

My personal experience has been about one week ago. I was in my favourite wine-shop in Milano and I was looking for some "news". I've found a bottle of bio-wine from Sicily, Nerello Mascalese grape (that I love) a 1999 vintage (really risky for a bio-wine). At first the "sulfites or not sulfites" issue didn't occur to me so I bought two bottles of that wine and I'm back at home happy like a baby after his first sip of CocaCola.

I was preparing dinner, waiting for some friends and I had opened one bottle of the above mentioned win to let it breath for a couple of hours (not enough for a 1999 wine but better than nothing).

Popped the cork off and... horrible sensations, it was an extra-matured wine, smell like the worst Porto or Marlasala that I've ever whiffed, with a feeble red-brown colour, terrible nose and acid taste.

The base of this wine was a fabulous pool of amazing grapes, led by "the king" Nerello Mascalese but due to the absence of sulfites and the long period in the bottle, the result had been really negative: undrinkable wine.

So, I re-corked it, & opened another bottle for dinner and the day after I'm back at the wine-shop for the "restitution" of that wine.

Another think, remember that: SPIRITS ARE DEAD in THE BOTTLE, they live only in the oak but WINE LIVES also IN THE BOTTLE!

In reference to that, a wine can ruin itself due to a bad preservation or bad cork and you, the customer, have the possibility to go to the supermarket or wineshop with the "bad-wine" and with the relative receipt and ask for an exchange. You have right to do that.

So, dear wine lovers, sulfites, in the right dosed quantity, are one of the best wine-friends and we should be grateful for their action.

Last thing, I know that there are some bio-wine, to drink young, that are really good even without the control of the sulfites but I think that if you're searching for a good aged wine, produced in a traditional way, don't worry about the "sulfites indication".

Drink responsibly and you better stick around :)

Angelo D'Alessandro

thedeliciousworld@gmail.com