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WINES
Jan 7, 2011 16:48:37 GMT -5
Post by manlyman on Jan 7, 2011 16:48:37 GMT -5
Yesterday I received a case of assorted wines (pinot noir's & cotes du rhone's) from a customer I helped out in France. I was told these were not expensive, just good drinking wine. My question to the wine experts out there: Why do wines imported into the USA always have preservatives (sulfite's usually) in them and the wines I received from France are pure and unadulterated? There sure is a difference in the taste.
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WINES
Jan 7, 2011 22:48:58 GMT -5
Post by chatornookie on Jan 7, 2011 22:48:58 GMT -5
no wine, even organic wine, is completely free of sulfites as they are a product of fermentation. and most wines, even French wines, usually do have some added sulfites. without them, wines will turn after a very short cellaring--even very good wines.
the difference is that, until only very recently, French winemakers were not required by law to inform you by label that the wine contains added sulfites as we do in the US. (this is a recent regulation passed by the EU and i'm sure the French are not pleased...) even then label warnings can be deceiving as the warning is only required on wines that contain sulfites in an amount greater than something like 10 parts per million. so... your wine likely contained sulfites and you just didn't know due to lack of the new labeling requirement. your gifted wines likely taste better because they ARE better wines than some of what we make here in the states.
are you sensitive to the sulfites? /
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WINES
Jan 8, 2011 14:15:44 GMT -5
Post by manlyman on Jan 8, 2011 14:15:44 GMT -5
Thanks for the info. Very informative. I am not sensitive to the sulfites, but I can taste the difference between the wines I got from France and the ones I purchase here. BTW, the wines I purchase here are from Chile and Australia. Not too many from the USA.
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WINES
Jan 8, 2011 14:52:19 GMT -5
Post by chatornookie on Jan 8, 2011 14:52:19 GMT -5
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