Sulfur Dioxide – Ian Hickinbotham
Ian Hickinbotham
Ian Hickinbotham, author of Australian Plonky
Sulfur dioxide has been added to wine for some 2,000 years. The assertion is based on the simple fact that Russian researchers found elemental sulphur, which is mined straight from the ground in some places, near amphora type fermenting vessels around Mesopotamia – where winegrowing began.
As any resident of the riverland (where apricots are dried after being impregnated with sulfur dioxide) knows, sulfur dioxide is simply produced when ordinary sulfur is burned. Thus (even with no school chemistry) readers can grasp:
S + O2 = SO2
The ‘S’ being sulfur, the ‘O2’ being oxygen (supplied by normal air) and SO2 is sulfur dioxide.
Sulfur dioxide ensures better retention of a wine’s colour and helps to protect it from unwanted bacterial attack. The reason it can be claimed that the sulfur was burned by the ancients and that the gas generated was the actual additive, is just based on logic. If ordinary elemental sulfur is added to wine, development of repulsive rotten egg smell is a consequence. And surely it is reasonable to assume our ancestors were repulsed by that revolting smell: in fact they would have been more accustomed to it given they had no refrigeration, dehydration or freezing techniques with which to preserve any food.
During our times, sulfur did gain entry to wines in cellars. It has been an old practice to burn sulfur inside empty casks before filling them with wine and they were thereby filled with sulfur dioxide gas – while neatly consuming some of the available oxygen from the air normally present in the container in order to burn. Unfortunately, we used to just suspend the sulfur (which was supplied in measured rings with a hole through their centre – like a donut) on a wire dangled down through the top 'bung-hole' of the cask. The simple arrangement filled the cask with sulfur dioxide gas that was 'collected' by the subsequent wine filled into the vessel. Unfortunately, molten elemental sulfur used to drip from the rings and fall to the floor, where it eventually caused rotten egg smell.
This hypothesis about the initial use of sulfur dioxide is not inconsistent with other historical aspects of wine. Thus, we still like the old grape varieties for the making of our wine: pinot noir has been documented since 600 AD (which fact serves to underline the extraordinary snippet that Australians have only had the variety during our lifetimes).
Change in my lifetime has been immense: thus in figures alone, where 400 parts per million was a sulfur dioxide addition rate from a cylinder of the gas in my apprenticeship days, modern oenologists would use about an eighth of that. It is still used at a higher rate in white than red wines, especially those that have some of the original grape sugar retained – which are the most popular ones.
If winegrowers did not add some sulfur dioxide, wines would look like 'sweet sherries' and taste something like them. That is a generality, as there is a push to sell wines that do not contain sulfur dioxide, but so far they are intended for early consumption soon after vintage. Being practical, winegrowers cannot risk enthusiasts keeping such wines as they will deteriorate in quality quickly and the winegrower will inevitably be blamed.
Importantly, you do not have to understand the pH measurement to grasp that to achieve the same benefit, wines of around 3 pH that are relatively tart, like riesling, need about a quarter as much sulfur dioxide as those of high pH like 4 – the type unfortunately often acclaimed by Robert Parker Jr, the world’s most influential wine critic.
Ian Hickinbotham, one of the most innovative and influential oenologists in Australia over his 50 year career, is the author of Australian Plonky (see related review below).
Our Recommendations
To see our recommendations, ratings and reviews you must be a logged-in subscriber.
To subscribe please enter your email address in the "Subscribe Now - it's Free" box on the right and click the "Join" button, or fill in this form >
Oxidation of bottled wine is not very common nowadays due to advances in winemaking equipment and knowledge. Oenologist Ian Hickinbotham tells us more about oxidation and other wine faults »
The exalted positions attained by some international wine writers causes them to increase the boundaries of their influence into actual winegrowing and sometimes this is extremely worrying »
Increasing alcohol content of table wines due to global warming is concerning wine drinkers in all countries. Wines that were 12 percent can now be 14 percent when made from the grapes of the same vineyard »
Sherry has made a comeback but not sweet sherry – the Australian oddity that dominated our market almost completely 60 years ago. Rather the current fashion is for the traditional dry sherry known as flor sherry »
It is reasonable to assume that the Stelvin®, the sophisticated screwcap that has virtually replaced corks as closures for bottles, is Australian. who have embraced the closure »
When Max Schubert copied Bordeaux winemaking methods for the initial 1951 making of his beloved Penfolds Grange, Australian winemakers started to take barrels seriously ... and to age table wine in barrels »
Barriques – small barrels, usually associated with the making of Bordeaux claret – are usually made from best quality French oak. Their role is the maturing of dry ... there were no barriques in Australia »
Not long ago, casks were large, made of oak not plastic, and wineries were not the bastions of stainless steel that they are today »
The autobiography of Ian Hickinbotham, one of the most innovative and influential oenologists (wine makers), tracks 50 years of Australian winemaking history »
Tutor your nose to detect the subtle aromas in wine and learn to appreciate and enjoy its complexities. VisitVineyards.com subscribers purchasing Le Nez du Vin aroma sets can save up to $110 and get two Essential Wine Tasting Guides for the price of one. Read about the 
Thinking celebration? Then surely thinking Champagne, the wine that's always part of life's most important occasions. And sometimes just for the pure bubbly, enjoyment. Dine and sip with royalty, celebrity at history-making moments with your copy of Champagne and Chandeliers by Bernadette O'Shea. VisitVineyards.com subscribers, you receive a 15 per cent discount on purchase 
Le Figaro calls her "the undisputed mistress of the kingdom of wine". Receive an immediate introductory 
Like to discover more about this state's lifestyle, wine, food and more? Then ask us now for your free copy of Tasmania 40 Degrees South the magazine that showcases the best of Australia's island state. 
In our No 1 Wine Book of 2010, Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein matches distinctive wines with recipes from his favourite chefs in this book focussing on new and emerging grape varietals. VisitVineyards.com subscribers and Members buying this book will receive a 
MEMBER BENEFIT: bonus bottle of local wine when 
This beautiful book showcases the island state's renowned fresh food though delicious recipes set alongside images of the very environment that plays a crucial part in its production. Whether you're a Tasmanian at home or abroad this book will have your mouth proudly watering. If you've visited or plan to visit the state, then it's a great souvenir or advance taste of what's to come. 