Wine and cheese Two years ago European labels on wine bottles began carrying a slogan “Contains sulphites”. It followed an EU regulation that insisted customers should be told if there was more than 10mg per litre of sulphur dioxide in the wine.
Californian wines, such as Fetzer, have carried the same information for many years. It should not alarm anyone. Sulphur dioxide is the world’s all-purpose cleaner, disinfectant and preservative. There is no way grape growers can ward off mildew without sulphur and copper sulphate, known as “Bordeaux mixture”.
Only if the wine has been over-sulphured are you likely to notice any after-effects. In very rare cases you might briefly develop a hoarse cough at the back of the throat if your palate is very sensitive.
If this is your problem, consider switching to organic wines. 20 years ago I could not honestly have recommended them. Most came from well meaning idealists whose hearts ruled their heads. They knew little about the craft of making wine and often the results were pretty dire. But skills and techniques have improved dramatically in recent days.
Even now you won’t find that organic white wines taste better than non-organic though some of the reds do. But don’t expect the relatively few organic bottles on the shelves to be easy to find.
They are known as organic because they use the barest minimum of synthetic fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides. Chemical sprays are ruled out because they indiscriminately destroy good as well as harmful flora and fauna.
It is hardly surprising that the best organic vineyards are usually in northerly grape-growing areas where the bugs are fewer. That applies to the rather weighty, assertive red Terra Organica Bonarda Sangiovese 2006 from Argentina. It’s a wonderfully smooth, elegant glassful for the dinner table.
If you're after similar quality in another star organic red, choose the spicy, slightly peppery Domaine de la Grande Bellane Cotes du Rhone Villages 2006. to accompany casseroles, I go for the juicy Reserve Naturelle Merlot 2006. Curries or moussaka demand the intense Organic Greek Merlot Cabernet 2003.
This article was first published in Saga Magazine.