Organic Processing Vo1.7 #4 - July/August 2010

Bonetti. “There will always be consumers who look for no-sulfites claims, but for the majority who don’t mind sulfites and want an organic wine with consistent quality, it makes sense to allow sulfite-added wines be able to use the seal and just call them ‘organic.’”

The International Market. The petition also points out that in Canada’s new regulation, wines with added sulfites are allowed to be labeled “ organic.” Across the pond, however, the EU recently withdrew a draft proposal that would have allowed wines labeled “organic” to contain sulfites, as well as other additives. The EU commissioner for agriculture said he felt that this rule change would “send the wrong signal to consumers.” Future drafts on the subject will be considered.

Arguments Against the Petition.

Those opposed to allowing sulfites in wine labeled “organic” also feel that such a move could hurt the overall integrity of organic and weaken consumer confidence. “Such a change could make consumers feel like the standards are being watered down,” says Jon Frey of Frey Vineyards, America’s first organic, NSA winemaker.

“Why would you want to allow
something with the USDA Organic
seal to contain anything that is a syn-
thetic and can make people sick or
even die—and something that is not
even an edible food?” he adds. “Sul-
fites are the only ingredient like this al-
lowed in the organic regulation. Plus,
if they allow sulfites in wine, what else
will they start to allow sulfites in?”
then added during winemaking. While sulfites are classified as synthetic in the
organic regulations, many winemakers feel that adding sulfites is like adding
more of the wine’s own natural preservative, albeit in a man-made form.

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The Role of Sulfites

So why do some feel that sulfites are so essential? Most will point out that up to 20 ppm of sulfites are naturally created in wine as a by-product of fermentation. However, this is not enough to protect a wine as it matures and as oxygen seeps in, so additional sulfites can be made by burning sulfur dioxide and creating a salt, which is

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