Okay. I understand about the SO2 killing all the bad stuff in wine, and the reasons why to use it. I intend to use it whenever I make wine.. but what about people (like my wife and mother in law) who are allergic to sulfa? Is this is differant form? or are the amounts so small that it isn't a worry? or are they best to avoid wine in all forms? my wife has drank wine before, but wasn'tnuts about it (red) I don't remember the brand, but it was a commercial wine. she has had a pinot blac before and liked it better. again, a commercial brand. is there a differance? do they use differant chems? my mother in law is far more allergic than my wife, so would she have a reaction if my wife did not?
thanks in advance... :)
email: daveallyn at bwsys dot net please respond in this NG so others can share your wisdom as well!
I'm sure others will respond who've discussed this before. The only thing I can say, is that I would check the labels on the bottles of wine which they have tried or will try. Since I started making wine I've become more aware about looking at labels. I've seen "contains sulfites" on a number of wine labels. I guess it would depend on their allergy, or is the problem an "intolerance" to sulfites. The reason I ask is my Dad can't have a lot of yeast before he has an allergic reaction. He can have some, but not too much. Over time, he's figured out how much yeast his body can tolerate before he has an allergic reaction. I've read that some people can get headaches (or other reactions) from sulfites contained in wine. I don't know that I would make wine without them. Maybe some others will have some suggestions.... Darlene
Well, if they are truly alergic to sulfites, then they would get ill eating dried fruits like dried apricots, cranberries, and raisins. These fruits contain probably 10 times the amount of sulfites that wine does. So, if they can tolerate those, then sulfites are not the problem. Red wines have histamines that people with allergies have a problem with -- not the sulfites. In that case, whites usually are not a problem. So I guess you should find out what it is or is not that is causing the allergic reaction. I feel sulfites get blamed too often and probably accounts for very few of the allergic reactions to wines. Oh, many bottled fruit juices also contain sulfites -- eg. white grape juice. If they can drink that without any reaction, then it is NOT sulfites they are allergic to.
Commercial wine will typically have more sulfites in them than home made wine. If they have no reaction to commercial wines, they should have none to yours. My son is allergic to sulfites. He has problems anytime he drinks more than one glass of commercial wine. (And his wife collects wine, poor thing.) BUT, he can drink a half bottle of my wines with no trouble.
Dave It's not uncommon to use more sulfite in white than red, but that is just a general rule. Some commercial wines are using no added sulfite, but that does not mean they don't contain sulfite, it can naturally occur in small amounts in the wine.
I know I'm not really answering the question, but that's because it's pretty hard to say, (even if you named the brands) without actual testing.
Salad bars usually have way more sulfite on them than used in wine along with the dried fruits mentioned. If they tolerate those, sulfite in wine won't be an issue.
As to liking a white more than red, that is pretty normal. Most people start with sweeter wines, gravitate to whites, dryer whites, reds and then dryer more tannic reds. I know I liked Lambrusco 30 years ago, but would not buy it today; tatstes just seem to change.
I do not think there is any good way to compare Sulfa allergies to sulfite sensitivity; they are very different but so are peoples sensitivities to things. If I were them I would try a little at a time but have the Benadryl handy... And I am not a doctor so my advice is pretty useless... Regards, Joe
Dave It's not uncommon to use more sulfite in white than red, but that is just a general rule. Some commercial wines are using no added sulfite, but that does not mean they don't contain sulfite, it can naturally occur in small amounts in the wine.
I know I'm not really answering the question, but that's because it's pretty hard to say, (even if you named the brands) without actual testing.
Salad bars usually have way more sulfite on them than used in wine along with the dried fruits mentioned. If they tolerate those, sulfite in wine won't be an issue.
As to liking a white more than red, that is pretty normal. Most people start with sweeter wines, gravitate to whites, dryer whites, reds and then dryer more tannic reds. I know I liked Lambrusco 30 years ago, but would not buy it today; tatstes just seem to change.
I do not think there is any good way to compare Sulfa allergies to sulfite sensitivity; they are very different but so are peoples sensitivities to things. If I were them I would try a little at a time but have the Benadryl handy... And I am not a doctor so my advice is pretty useless... Regards, Joe
As a few others have already pointed out, sulfa drugs and sulfites are not the same thing.
Sulfa drugs are a class of synthetic chemical substances derived from sulfanilamide, or para-aminobenzenesulfonamide. A typical sulfa drug is sulfamethoxazole, N1-(5-methyl-3-isoxazolyl) sulfanilamide. It has a molecular formula of C10H11N3O3S.
Sulfites are salts or esters of sulfurous acid. The two sulfites commonly used in winemaking are Potassium Metabisulphite (K2S2O5) and Sodium Metabisulphite (Na2S2O5), although the later has been banned in commercial winemaking because sodium salts are no longer politically correct.
Note that the sulfites have the S2O5 radical, which the sulfa drugs do not.
So, if your wife and mother-in-law are allergic to sulfa drugs, that does not necessarily mean they are allergic to sulfites --- although they may coincidentally be.
Sulfite occurs commonly in nature, in quantities far exceeding the
50-100 ppm (parts more million) used in winemaking, so people who are truly allergic to sulfite have to be very careful what they eat, drink, and breathe (if they are still alive, being allergic to virtually everything around them). But, like salt, cholesterol, fat, and demon rum, reformers and junk scientists have managed to scare many of us into thinking these are evil commodities in any quantity whatsoever.
Similarly, asthmatics are cautioned to avoid red wines, even though only about 5% of asthmatics have averse reactions to red wines, and even then only to SOME red wines. But when the reformers and government have an excuse to dictate our behavior and diet, they don't hesitate --- or allow themselves to be confused by facts or the laws of probability.
Since your wife has drunk wine before without an averse reaction (other than her not being nuts about some brands), it would appear she is not allergic to ANYTHING in the wine. The fact that she preferred one wine to another only proves she is human. White wines are supposed to have MORE sulfites than red wines (since the tannin in red wine acts as a preservative itself), but the amounts added vary between wineries as much as between wines.
Even if she did experience an allergic reaction, it might not be to the sulfites, but to something else in THAT wine. Only empirical testing can determine for certain.
If your mother in law "is far more allergic", she would be more likely to experience an allergic reaction, and more likely to experience a more severe reaction --- if there is anything in the wine to which she is allergic.
Tthere is no reason to assume that the sulfa allergy means there will also be sulfite allergy. Still, it is always prudent for people who suffer food and drug allergies to be cautious whenever they try something new, and try small quantities initially.
Hope this helps. If not, have another drink and read it again. :)
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