Sulfites

1. Compounds (typically: potassium metabisulfite or sodium metabisulfite) which are added to wine to prevent oxidation and microbial spoilage.

2. A class of sulfur-containing compounds used in wine making as an antimicrobial agent, as an antioxidant, and as a preservative. A respiratory hazard in its undiluted state, sulfites need to be handled carefully but are entirely safe at the levels in which they are used for wine making. If you are asthmatic and lack the enzyme sulfite oxidase, you should not consume foods or beverages that contain sulfites.

   Featured Sponsors

Related Wine Articles

1. Big Wine Myths

Related Wine Videos

Understanding Big Wine Myths Posted on Thursday January 31, 2008 Have you ever wanted to learn about wine? Do you want to find out about all the red wine myths you've heard. The Classic Wines Minute visits a few expert wine sommeliers ...read more

Wine Terms Glossary - Sulfites

Here are your search results for Sulfites. If you didn't find what you were looking for, search again or suggest the term for submission in our form below! ...read more

Even people well acquainted with wine will tell you - wine terms can be tricky! It helps to have a comprehensive glossary at your fingertips when navigating your way through bottles. Select a letter below to find your term, or search for the term directly by using the search box below.

This dictionary of wine terms is designed to augment the other features of Classic Wines. Often when reading an article or watching a video, the experts will use abstract and niche terms. If that occurs and you feel a bit lost, just look it up here and get back on track. This glossary is also an excellent tool to study wine vocabulary in general.

If you have any suggestions for the glossary, please submit them in the form below! We are looking to include as many relavant terms as we can, so your help is appreciated. ...read less

Browse Wine Terms

Recommend a Term

Can't find the wine term you are looking for? Recommend it and one of our wine experts will add it to our Classic Wines Dictionary.

Recent Classic Wines Columns

2000 DuMol Pinot Noir Russian River Valley ...read article

2003 Martinelli Blue Slide Ridge Pinot Noir ...read article

Video Transcript: Wine Gifts - What And Where to Buy Online ...read article

Champagne: Cashing In On Older Vintages ...read article

2005 Domaine Pierre Usseglio Châteauneuf-du-Pape ...read article

Classic Wines Poll