Stellar Organics Pinotage (ASDA)

As I’ve noted before, I have a problem with wine and foods with sulphates as preservatives (e.g. see here).  I’ve been searching for wines that are low in sulphates, but so far it has proved hard to find out cleanly, albeit that organic wines seem to be better.  I had a comment on the post noted above from John whose partner has the same issue, and has started a on-line wine merchant called Good wine online that specialises in lower sulphate wines.  We bought a selection to try :-

So far we’ve had a couple of bottles and they’ve been great.  No ill effects at all (normally I get something, even if it is tolerable).  They have a pretty wide selection, so I am a convert, and am retiring the old static page I used to have on wines I’d found to be ok … though I am copying it below in case folks want the info.

———–Old static page on sulphate safe wine is below —————-

Some while back I wrote a post on sulphates in wine. Since then I have from time to time experimented with wines that are or might be lower in sulphates (often organic), some of which have been fine, and some much less fine. I thought it might be useful to start a list of wines that have proved OK at least for my level of sensitivity. Please leave a comment if you have also sensitive to sulphates and have found wines that seem OK.

BTW, I do know that the scientific method used sucks – no repeated controls, no double blind, no variable isolation … this is just records. I did try and find a sulphate tester so I could directly measure the sulphate levels, but so far I’ve not had any luck.

Tastes pretty good – much better than some organic wines wines. Fairly full flavour. Labelled as containing sulphates, but South African and Organic both help keep the amounts down apparently. Had about half a bottle on several occasions with no effect noticed. Did have a very mild effect when I had ~3/4 of a bottle, but may well have been due to hayfever. ( April 08 )
Terra Organica Bonarda Sangiovese (Somerfield, £5.19) Very smooth, not too strong, but tried with a curry, and went well. Has 3/4 of a bottle with only the most marginal of ill effects – at the level where I doubt whether they are real, or I think they are there just because I am thinking about it. This is the only organic wine I could find in Somerfield ( May 08 )
Fairtrade Argentine Malbec – Famatina Valley (Co-Op, ~£5) Pretty uninspiring. Not especially smooth, not a particularly full flavour (for a 14% wine). No after effects noticed the next day, and not bad per se., but not something we’d buy again as it feels like there are better things to do with a fiver. Bottle is wider at the top than the bottom as well which makes it fit badly in a wine rack. ( May 08 )
Cotes de Rhones Villages (Co-Op, £7) Totally failed to remember to update this when we had either of the two bottles I got. No sulphate effect that I detected though. Pretty smooth and rich taste – I’d certainly get it again.( June 08 )
Tempranillo La Mancha (Co-Op, £4.25) Was OK as I recall – no real sulphate effects( June 08 )	>