Should Wine Contain Sulfites?

Any bottle of wine containing over 10 mg/l (10 parts per million) sulfites is required to bear “CONTAINS SULFITES” on the label. In other words, as no wine cannot naturally contain less than 15-20 mg/l sulfites when bottled, all bottles of wine must actually bear that sentence.

Are sulfites necessary in wine?

At pH 3.6 and above, wines are much less stable, and sulfites are necessary for shelf-life. ... A typical dry white wine may have around 100 mg/L whereas a typical dry red wine will have around 50–75 mg/L. Wines with higher sugar content tend to need more sulfites to prevent secondary fermentation of the remaining sugar.

Is it safe to drink wine without sulfites?

Don't worry about sulfites in wines—they're not going to kill you, and they're already in a lot of things you eat. ... There are two types of sulfites, also known as sulfur dioxide: natural and added. Natural sulfites are just that, totally natural compounds produced during fermentation.