Chemicals in Wine

SO2

Many people are allergic to sulphur dioxide, also know as sulphites. Sulphur dioxide is an antioxidant that acts as a preservative and is used in many things, including dried fruit, sausages and wine. It can also be used in wine to stop the fermentation process. Orkney Wines are naturally fermented: no chemicals are used to stop the fermentation process. This is why every batch has a slightly different alcohol content.

An EU law states any grape wine containing more than 10mg/l must be labelled as ‘contains sulphites’. If that’s all the label says, there is no way of knowing how much it actually contains, it could be anything up to the EU’s maximum permitted levels. The maximum permitted levels of SO2 varies in other countries. The Soil Association has permitted levels considerably lower than those of the EU for organic wines, and many other organic organisations have even lower permitted levels.

Wines that do not have any added sulphur dioxide will still have some present, as it is naturally present in fruit and is produced during the fermentation process.

Here's the good news: because Orkney Wine is made from fruit containing lots of anti-oxidants (they’re good for you!) we hardly need to add any SO2. All our red wines have less than 10mg/l, and all our white wines and rosés are well below the Soil Associations permitted level. White and rosé grape wines do not contain natural anti-oxidants as they are not left in contact with the grape skins for any length of time. We ferment the whole fruit so all our wines contain natural anti-oxidants.

Finings

Finings are added to wines to remove certain unwanted substances, mainly proteins, which will turn wine cloudy. Many fining agents used today come from animals: gelatine; isinglass – also known as fish glue - is a form of collagen obtained from the swim bladders of fish; egg whites, and casein from milk. The vegetarian alternative is a kind of clay called bentonite. This is what we use, so all Orkney Wines are suitable for vegetarians. The fining agent used does not need to be stated on the label. Many wines are unsuitable for vegetarians without the consumer being aware of it.