As stated in the video sulfites have been added to wine for many, many years. Sulfur dioxide or as it is commonly known, sulfites, is a preservative that prevents bacterial growth as fermentation occurs as well as prevents oxidation or the browning of wine. However, sulfites are not just found in wines. They are found in a variety of other foods including dried fruit, dehydrated potatoes, pizza dough, onions and even seafood (shrimp and lobster). Sulfites are even added to some medications to maintain stability and potency. 

The Food and Drug Administration requires that packaged food labels disclose information when sulfites are presence.  The law also, requires that a sulfite warning label be added to any wine containing more that 10mg/L of sulfite made or sold in the U.S. All wines have some degree of sulfite in them and winemakers often add more during the wine making process. Sweet dessert wines have the highest level of sulfites in them. Dry red wines typically have the least amount. If a wine has less than 1mg/L of sulfites it can actually state “No Sulfites” on it’s label. This is usually an organic wine that you can find in a natural food store. One thing to keep in mind is that if the wine has a very low amount of sulfites, as in organic wine, then it’s shelf life will be much less than wines with higher level of sulfites. On average U.S. wines have about 80mg/L of sulfites , which is about 10 mg per typical glass.

Adding Sulfite to Wine

So What is the Big Deal About Sulfites?

It is estimated that one out of a hundred people are sulfite sensitive or have a sulfite allergy. The FDA requires doctors and pharmaceutical companies to report adverse reactions that occur as a result of taking a particular drug, however, the reporting of events from sulfite or food ingredients is voluntary, so it is really hard to say how many people may be at risk. For people with sensitivity or allergies, exposure to sulfites in their food or drink can cause a severe reaction which left untreated could prove to be fatal. According to Ron Simon, head of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology at Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation in La Jolla, California, “most rapid reactions occur when sulfites are sprayed onto foods or are present in beverages, but the most severe reactions occur when sulfites are constituents of the the food itself.” 

What Are the Signs & Symptoms?

Diagnosing sulfite allergies is very tricky. It can be triggered at any point in one’s lifetime and the mechanism by which the reactions occur is unknown. People with asthma and weakened immune systems seem to be especially at risk. Some of the symptoms include:

Nasal congestions

Skin flush

Nausea

Abdominal Pain

Broncho-constriction

Dizziness

There is much debate of over whether headaches associated wine drinking is really due to sulfites. Most say that it is not. To test this out it is often recommended that a person who thinks they are getting headaches due to the sulfites in wine eat dried apricots. Dried apricots have about five to 10 times more sulfite than a glass of wine. There are a few reasons why people may get headaches after drinking wine including, high alcohol content, cheap wine or dehydration. You should drink a glass of water for each glass of wine you have. 

Without sulfites we could be left with brown, spoiled, disgusting wines, so give ‘em a break. However, if you really think you are having a reaction to sulfites please make an appointment with an allergy specialist. If you develop breathing problems or airway constriction, please go to your local emergency room immediately.

As always remember to drink responsibly.

We took a trip up to the Santa Ynez Valley on Saturday to visit some vineyards and do a small amount of gambling. Our stops included the Kalyra, Rideau and Gainey wineries as well as Chumash casino. Today’s blog will give you a little insight into our experience at Kalyra. I will blog about the other vineyards and Chumash over the next few days.

I was concerned about going on Saturday because the sky was cloudy and there was mention of rain (something rare in Southern California). I was also a bit fearful that the weather around Santa Barbara would quite cold. However, the day turned out to be absolutely lovely. The sky was blue and the temperature was in the 70′s. A great day to go wine tasting.

The Ambience

 Our first stop on our adventure was the Kalyra Winery tasting room. Immediately we find it small and a bit crowded. The decor was a sort of tiki style which I assume is to pay homage to the owner who is from Australia. The tasting bar takes up a large part of the room but upon entering we find it a bit confusing on how to get started. We eventually noticed the cash register at one end of the bar and went over to pay the $10.00 per person tasting fee. The tasting fee included six traditional wines and two dessert wines. After paying we obtained our glasses (which were ours to keep) and the cashier began to pour our first taste right there at the register. This was also quite disturbing because as other people came in they were trying to inch their way in to pay as well. We eventually moved to the opposite end of the bar to gain more room and access a spit/dump bucket because there wasn’t one on our end.

The Whites

Our first taste was of the 2007 Kalyra Sauvignon Blanc. It was agreed that this wine was bland and weak. There really wasn’t anything exciting about it. Next on the list was a 2007 Chardonnay (Unwooded) which is fermented in stainless steel. Again, there really wasn’t anything great about this wine either.

The final white of the traditional wines was the 2007 Riesling. I actually found this wine okay (not great, but okay). As I have mentioned before I am not a big fan of sweet wines and this one was only mildly sweet. It was still a bit weak though. It is almost as if their white wines are watered down.

The Reds

I was beginning to think that this winery just didn’t produce good wines until we got a taste of our first red, a 2006 Sangiovese. It had a very deep and dark fruity taste. This wine definitely grabbed my attention and made me rethink the winery. Next was special wine they called the 2005 Kalyra MC² Blend. This wine is 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has a very deep berry taste with a bitter chocolate finish. Although the guy pouring it said this is one of their better wines I really wasn’t that impressed with this blend.  The final red at Kalyra was the 2002 Barossa Valley Shiraz. Although bold this wine had a full berry and spice flavor with a very smooth finish. It definitely made me appreciate a red in their portfolio.

And for Dessert

The two dessert wines poured included the 2007 Viognier Sticky Wicket and the Kalyra NV Black Muscat. We found both of the dessert wines to be quite tasty. The Viognier had a surprising honey flavor with hints of citrus and pear. This seemed to be a favorite of most the tasting participants. The Black Muscat is  fortified with brandy early in the fermentation process giving it a very strong and sweet flavor.

Overall the Kalyra was a bit of a disappointment. The tasting bar was crowded and a bit disorganized and the wine just wasn’t that appealing. Although there were a couple of decent wines at Kalyra there were no jackpots. As always this is only my opinion. I encourage you to try it for yourself. I would appreciate hearing any of your comments.

Next blog…I will share with you our experience at Rideau.