New Sulphite-Free Section on Website Goes Live!

Here at Exel Wines we have always been a big fan of "natural wines", and our new sulphite-free section now enables our customers to discover a great range of "natural wines".

Covering everything from organic, biodynamic and sulphite-free, in recent times there has been an movement away from the mass-produced factory wines we see too much of on supermarket shelves and towards those wines that are as nature intended. Exel Wines are proud to be at the very forefront of the ever-growing demand for more authentic, small production wines.

Sulphite-free wines are, however, perhaps the most controversial and hardest to classify. Nevertheless, with growing interest in leading a more healthy lifestyle, many people are keen to know about the effects sulphites have on our bodies. The truth is that all grapes and grape products contain naturally occuring sulphites in small amounts. However, huge quantities of sulphites can sometimes be added to wines at time of production. In completely unsulphured wine, naturally occurring sulphites are usually present at concentrations of up to 10 milligrams per litre. However, mass-produced commercial wines can contain anything from ten to twenty times this amount. Sulphite-free wines refer to wines that have had not additional sulphites added at time of production.

In terms of the effects sulphur dioxide can have on our health, these can cause a range of problems from a hangover to potentially fatal allergic reactions.More specifically, sulphur dioxide can cause allergic reactions in some people, and it is particularly dangerous for asthmatics even at very low levels.

Obviously, there are different level of sulphites present in different types of wine. For example, red wines generally do not require any sulphur dioxide to be added because they naturally contain anti-oxidants acquired from the skins and stems of the grapes during fermentation. However, conventional winemakers add some anyway. White and rosé wines, however, do not contain natural anti-oxidants because the grapes are not left in contact with their skins after crushing. For this reason they are more prone to oxidation and tend to have larger doses of sulphur dioxide added. Sweet wines receive the highest levels of added sulphites.

Here at Exel Wines, our sulphite-free selection includes wines that contain only natural occuring sulphites in them and those that have very small quantities of sulphites added.  However, while we have added a dedicated section on our website specifically to sulphite-free wines, we are very committed in our ethos to ensure that all our wines should be produced with low-sulphite or sulphite-free principles in mind.