Iconic Brands Inc (ICNB)

[The Wings Of Man]

Sulfites occur naturally in all wines to some extent. Sulfites are commonly introduced to arrest fermentation at a desired time, and may also be added to wine as preservatives to prevent spoilage and oxidation at several stages of the winemaking. Sulfur dioxide (SO2) protects wine from not only oxidation, but also from bacteria. Without sulfites, grape juice would quickly turn to vinegar.

Organic wines are not necessarily sulfite-free, but generally have lower amounts and regulations stipulate lower maximum sulfite contents for these wines. In general, white wines contain more sulfites than red wines and sweeter wines contain more sulfites than drier ones.

In the United States, wines bottled after mid-1987 must have a label stating that they contain sulfites if they contain more than 10 parts per million.

In the European Union an equivalent regulation came into force in November 2005. In 2012, a new regulation for organic wines came into force.