Everything you need to know about wine with no added sulfur
You bought a delicious wine from Neleman. Wine from organic grapes, made naturally, without added sulphites: exactly what you were looking for. You quickly open a bottle and drink a glass. Or two. Wow! You are impressed by the fruity juiciness of this delightfully light organic wine. Cork back in the bottle and have another glass tomorrow. And that's where it goes wrong. The next day, that pure, fresh wine is suddenly a lot less tasty. It smells different and no longer tastes as fruity. Did Neleman cheat you? No. You have a wine in your hands that is different from the rest. A brand-new wine, in fact, without unnecessary chemical additives, which therefore requires a slightly different treatment than you are used to in order to guarantee its shelf life.
Storing natural wine
A wine without added sulphites can be compared to fresh natural products. Fruit, for example. Once you have bitten into an apple, you have to eat it all – which is of course no punishment at all. It will turn brown if you leave it lying around after taking one or more bites. This also applies to sulphite-free wine: the contents are delicious, but fragile and deteriorate when exposed to air. After opening, you should therefore actually drink the bottle the same day. That is when the wine is at its best. If there is no other option, press the cork firmly into the bottle and store it in the refrigerator. You cannot leave an unopened bottle of natural wine lying around indefinitely either. Drink the wine as soon as possible and store it in a place where it is not too warm or too cold in the meantime: around 16°C is ideal. Avoid major temperature fluctuations. So do not place your bottles near the heater, next to the stove or near the window. A bedroom is often the most suitable place.
A wine without added sulphites can be compared to fresh natural products. Fruit, for example. Once you have bitten into an apple, you have to eat it all – which is of course no punishment at all. It will turn brown if you leave it lying around after taking one or more bites. This also applies to sulphite-free wine: the contents are delicious, but fragile and deteriorate when exposed to air. After opening, you should therefore actually drink the bottle the same day. That is when the wine is at its best. If there is no other option, press the cork firmly into the bottle and store it in the refrigerator. You cannot leave an unopened bottle of natural wine lying around indefinitely either. Drink the wine as soon as possible and store it in a place where it is not too warm or too cold in the meantime: around 16°C is ideal. Avoid major temperature fluctuations. So do not place your bottles near the heater, next to the stove or near the window. A bedroom is often the most suitable place.
Sulphite in wine, preferably not
Why is it that you can store this naturally made wine for a shorter period of time? Sulphite is added to most wines to improve its shelf life: a preservative that is used very widely. Not only in wine, but also in dried fruit and chips, for example. Products without added sulphites oxidize faster and therefore lose aroma and taste sooner. Sulphites are found everywhere in nature. Even your own body contains sulphites. During the production of wine, a small amount of sulphites is also created as a by-product of fermentation. Sulphites are therefore not harmful by nature. However, extra sulphites in wine do have many disadvantages. They are detrimental to the true, natural taste of a wine and are often used to mask flaws and impurities.
Why is it that you can store this naturally made wine for a shorter period of time? Sulphite is added to most wines to improve its shelf life: a preservative that is used very widely. Not only in wine, but also in dried fruit and chips, for example. Products without added sulphites oxidize faster and therefore lose aroma and taste sooner. Sulphites are found everywhere in nature. Even your own body contains sulphites. During the production of wine, a small amount of sulphites is also created as a by-product of fermentation. Sulphites are therefore not harmful by nature. However, extra sulphites in wine do have many disadvantages. They are detrimental to the true, natural taste of a wine and are often used to mask flaws and impurities.
Purer, therefore tastier
A winemaker who does not add sulphites to the wine must come clean: he or she cannot afford to make any mistakes. The entire process must run smoothly. The grapes must be ripe, perfectly healthy and flawless and everything in the wine cellar, from the largest tank to the smallest valve, must be spotlessly clean. This is exactly how this wine from Neleman is made. It is stored for a maximum of 1 year in large tanks, in which the wine comes into contact with virtually no oxygen. In addition, the wine is bottled in small quantities, so that the contents of the bottles are always fresh.
A winemaker who does not add sulphites to the wine must come clean: he or she cannot afford to make any mistakes. The entire process must run smoothly. The grapes must be ripe, perfectly healthy and flawless and everything in the wine cellar, from the largest tank to the smallest valve, must be spotlessly clean. This is exactly how this wine from Neleman is made. It is stored for a maximum of 1 year in large tanks, in which the wine comes into contact with virtually no oxygen. In addition, the wine is bottled in small quantities, so that the contents of the bottles are always fresh.
Drink it fresh
As a result, you now have a sulphite-free wine in your hands that is remarkably tasty and pure. And if you take into account that this wine is a natural product, made to be drunk fresh, then you will enjoy it optimally.
As a result, you now have a sulphite-free wine in your hands that is remarkably tasty and pure. And if you take into account that this wine is a natural product, made to be drunk fresh, then you will enjoy it optimally.
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