Sulphites, straight
What SO2 does, why the ten milligram label line exists, and why zero is not automatically better.
Sulphur dioxide, SO2, is the most misunderstood thing in wine. It is an antioxidant and a preservative. It keeps a wine fresh and stops it turning to vinegar or going flat and brown. Winemakers have used it for centuries, and a small amount is often the difference between a wine arriving in good shape and arriving spoiled.
Why the label says contains sulphites
By law, once a wine carries more than 10 milligrams per litre of total sulphur, the label must declare it. That is why almost every bottle in the world says contains sulphites, including many with no added sulphur at all. Yeast produce a little sulphur naturally during fermentation, so a wine made with nothing added can still sit above that 10 milligram line. Absence of the declaration is rare. Presence of it tells you very little.
The numbers that actually matter
Total SO2 is measured in milligrams per litre, and the figure is what we publish. For reference, the legal ceilings tell the story. A conventional dry red may carry up to 150, a conventional white or rose up to 200. Certified organic wine is held lower, to 100 for a dry red and 150 for whites and roses. Demeter, the biodynamic standard, caps a red at 70. A Vin Methode Nature wine is at or below 30 added, or none at all.
So when we show you a red at 45 milligrams per litre, you can place it instantly. Well inside organic limits, a world away from the conventional ceiling, made with a light touch.
Why zero is not automatically better
A wine with no added sulphur can be extraordinary, and it can also be fragile, prone to going off in warm transit or an open bottle. Zero is a choice with a trade off, not a badge of virtue. A tiny, well judged addition can protect a delicate wine so it reaches you as the grower intended. We would rather give you the number and let you decide than sell you a slogan.