How to avoid sulfites

Here I am repeating myself. In case you missed my response in the beer wort thread.

You can make a wine without adding sulfites, but it should be consumed realtively quickly or it will oxidize. Possibly synthetic corks would reduce the oxidation (I believe that they seal better)..

There will still be sulfites in the wine from the fermentation but the level willl be reduced. Generally home-made wines have lower sulfite levels than commercial wines anyway.

Consider different sanitizers, eg Diversol (half hour soak minimum), or iodophor (any iodine concerns?). However, the sulfite remaining from sanitizing with sulfite should be very minimal.

Option 2: Drink beer or water??

Warning 1: ascorbic acid is sometimes given as a substitute for sulfites. My understanding from a wine chemist is that ascorbic acid causes rapid oxidation when not used in conjunction with sulfites (I think I got t hat right).

Warning 2: to sweeten a wine requires sorbate to stop the yeast. If you use sorbate without sulfites, a geranium smell results.

Steve

That's not quite right. The geranium smell comes from malolactic fermentation in a sorbated wine. It doesn't matter whether the wine is sweet or dry.

Sorbate is used to prevent fermentation in sweet wines, but it needs to be used in conjunction with sulfite to accomplish this.

Tom S

If you want to make sweet wine without sulfites or sorbate, you most certainly can do it. But when you bottle it, do not use corks. Fit each bottle with an airlock.

I do NOT speak from experience. ;o)

Ray