It’s Five o’clock Somewhere

You eat organic food. You use green products to clean your home and use all natural personal care products. But are you drinking organic wine?

Yes, it is a thing.

Let’s break it down. What is in conventional wine? Here are some surprising ingredients that you probably didn’t know were in your wine. Today, wines are not required to disclose the following additives on the label:

1. Potassium Sorbate & Potassium Metabisulfite

Both potassium sorbate and potassium metabisulfite are used as a protector in the winemaking process to ward off bacteria and prevent the yeast from spoiling, during the fermentation process.

2. Calcium Carbonate

Calcium carbonate is commonly used in the winemaking process to reduce the acidity of the final product. It is not unusual for calcium carbonate to be added when the grapes are having trouble ripening due to the climate in which they were grown.

3. Sulfur Dioxide

As one of the most common additives in wine, you probably refer to Sulfur Dioxide or “Sulfites.” Sulfur Dioxide is commonly used to preserve the grapes, stabilize the wine and prevent oxidation during the winemaking process.

4. Sugar

Winemakers add sugar to the mix to help boost the alcohol content in their product. Known as chaptalization, adding sugar to wine is mainly done to assist the yeast in the fermentation process. Very few winemakers add sugar to sweeten the wine. Adding sugar to wine is often used in cooler climates where grapes aren’t able to ripen fully before harvest.

5. Grape Juice Concentrate

Mega Purple and Ultra Red- those scary sounding names These wine boosters, are really just types of a thick concentrate derived from Teinturer grapes, helps make the color of the red wine more intense while adding a bit of extra sugar to smooth out the mouth feel and make the wine taste a bit more velvety.

6. Water

Adding water is done early in the winemaking process to bring down high alcohol levels and even out a wine’s balance.

7. Flavors

Oak has been used since the beginning of wine making to flavor a wine with strong notes of vanilla or balance undertones of subtle spices. Since only a small portion of the wine actually comes in contact with the barrel, many winemakers have taken to adding oak chips, powders or saw dust to a wine to evenly distribute those subtle flavors before being strained out after fermentation.

8. Powdered Tannins

Tannins are found in the skins of the grape, and can add complexity to wine. This can be tricky to manage between crushing, macerations, maturation, climate changes, and more that occurs during the winemaking process. Powdered tannins have been used to help add bitterness or balance out the wine early in the process to help boost grapes particularly grown in the warmer regions of the world.

9. Yeast

In the making of wine, yeast is the key ingredient that separates a glass of wine from a glass of grape juice. When oxygen is withheld from the grapes early on in the process, it’s the yeast that works to convert sugars into alcohol.

Here are some concerning facts about the Modern Wine Industry:

• There are 76 chemical additives approved in the U.S. by the TTB and FDA for use in making wine, including copper and ammonia.

• Many U.S. Wines are made with genetically modified commercial yeasts

• 99%+ of U.S. vineyards are irrigated and fed synthetic fertilizers

• Monsanto’s Round-Up is the most common herbicide used in U.S. vineyards today

So what is the big deal?

Additives in your wine can cause health problems and accelerate aging.

When you’re younger, your body is highly effective at ridding toxic or unhealthy substances, like sulfite preservatives. As you get older, the sulfite additives in wine lead to short term side affects you probably attribute to getting older but there are also long term health problems caused by free radicals. Short term side effects attributed to sulfites are worsened morning after headaches and upset stomach; it may not actually be a hangover but a reaction to the additives and not the wine itself. People with more of a sensitivity report hives, facial redness and difficulty breathing. Free Radicals caused by sulfites additives causes’ damage to cells, proteins and DNA.

So, what can you do?

The key to avoiding harmful chemical additives and drinking healthier wine lies in switching to organic wine. This is an excellent option for health-conscious wine drinkers who fear they are consuming harmful additives when drinking conventional wines.

Here are five reasons why you should consider drinking organic wine.

1. Organic wine is made from organic grapes.

Organic grapes are not sprayed with harmful chemical pesticides, fertilizers and herbicides. As a result, organic wine is a more natural and cleaner product to consume. The residues from these sprays can end up in your wine, surrounding soil and river systems and is harmful to the environment. Organic wines have not been sprayed which is therefore one of the health benefits of organic wine.

To grow organic grapes, a vineyard must follow entirely different agricultural practices. In simple terms, this means maintaining the health and condition of their vines with more natural methods than what is done in a conventional winery.

2. Organic wine has fewer sulphites.

The amount of sulphites in wine is highly regulated around the world. Any bottle of wine having more than ten parts per million (ppm) must include on the label “contains sulphites.” European wine may contain up to 210 ppm sulphites, while the American wines have an upper limit of 350 ppm.

Organic wine is regulated by different governing bodies around the world. The labels on bottles of wine will specify if they are a certified organic producer. Sulphites in organic wine are a lot lower than what is allowed in conventional wines. Less sulphites means a more natural wine and as a result, another health benefit of organic wine.

3. Organic wine contains less added sugar.

The amount of sugar in a wine, natural or added, will determine the final alcohol content of the wine. When winemakers add sugar in excess of naturally occurring sugars in the grapes, the final product is sweet. Organic wine does not contain not contain added sugars. This is an added health benefit of Organic Wine. This is a good option for those who are watching their sugar intake.

4. Organic wine has fewer additives

Organic wines are free of additives such as refined sugar, sulphuric acids and fining and clarification agents. The Organic winemaking process avoids using chemicals and promotes biodiversity in our environment. Organic wine is natural, sustainable and much more eco-friendly when compared to the conventional wine.

5. Organic wine hangovers aren’t as bad.

Organic wines have fewer sulphites and artificial chemicals. When you drink organic wine you will lessen the effect of any potential headache, allowing you to enjoy a couple of glasses without risk of a nasty hangover.

Shifts and pivots are necessary to achieve good health. This is just another one to point you in that direction. Watching your toxic load, and reducing toxicity in the body are key factors in living your life free from disease.