The Auswine Forum

Hey guys
A client of mine has a problem with red wines causing blocked nose etc which I suggested is most typically driven by the sulphur content (although I know can be other chemical compounds)...

To test this theory, I need to find a low sulphur ... some form of organic etc... Pinot Noir (his preferred variety, and given the lower tannin I would say typically more highly sulphured)... anyone know of such a wine? Or have any other views?

Thanks

There are some organic producers in Australia that have low or no sulfur...but my experience is that most of them are not all that great...but I suppose as an experiment it would be fine.

I've read something that say it could be the sulfites causing the problem....and some believe it is just the alcohol...so higher alcohol will cause more congestion...

If you can source one, Lapierre Morgon natural is probably the only non sulfur wine that I thought was great...but they're terribly difficult to get in Australia...maybe a bit lower alcohol (12-13%) so that might be changing two variables...plus he might not like Gamay..

Look to the Jura...low alcohol, low or no sulphur. Pinot or Trousseau.

get burgundy A.O.C. approved wines..

Sometimes find the day after big night of red wines and ports, I find myself sneezing myself silly when wake up, like runny nose and hayfever like type of symptoms apart from runny eyes. Been like that for few years, always the day after, never during drinking them. Still doesn't stop me from drinking them. Hehe!

Only lasts for hour or two after waking up tops.

That sinus/hay fever/headache effect can be sulphur and it can be histamines as well, an dpossibly other things too.

One way to avoid sulphur is to look closely for what preservatives are used in the wine, 220 is So2, where 300 to 303 are ascorbates.

There wil be low sulphur Pinots around, Lucy Margaux is the one that comes to mind right now,

Andrew

damonpeyo wrote:Sometimes find the day after big night of red wines and ports, I find myself sneezing myself silly when wake up, like runny nose and hayfever like type of symptoms apart from runny eyes. Been like that for few years, always the day after, never during drinking them. Still doesn't stop me from drinking them. Hehe!

My boss said his father sneezes 3 times whenever he drinks port... precisely 3 times.

Perhaps Ngeringa? They are bio-dynamic, but I have no idea about sulphur levels.

sjw_11 wrote:

damonpeyo wrote:Sometimes find the day after big night of red wines and ports, I find myself sneezing myself silly when wake up, like runny nose and hayfever like type of symptoms apart from runny eyes. Been like that for few years, always the day after, never during drinking them. Still doesn't stop me from drinking them. Hehe!

My boss said his father sneezes 3 times whenever he drinks port... precisely 3 times.

I sneeze exactly twice everytime I have a mint...
Perhaps this post needs to be put on The Ausmints Forum

How about some of those Pure wine drops? The chemistry seems sound. Worth a try. I would say it's the histamines though - you could take an anti-histamine before drinking and see what happens.

Rens - mint also makes me sneeze.

Ask them if they have the same reaction eating dried apricots. The suplhur levels in dried apricots leaves wines for dead. This is a much cheaper "experiment" to run.

Also don't assume that "organic" = low sulphur.....their legal limit is lower than "conventional" winemaking (e.g. approx 80ppm total SO2 Vs 250ppm)....but most conventional wines would go to bottle with under 100ppm anyway, so the difference is negligible..

As for "preservative free"....yes it can be done...but don't expect great wines (most of the time). It is alot harder to get it right, and consistency is even harder.

At the end of the day its all about moderation...if you react...drink less quantity of a higher quality wine....not the other way around.