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Sulfur plays a crucial role in making wine that is stable, and can withstand the test of time in bottle. Although sulfur is actually a by-product of the fermentation process, the experts recommend supplementing it to almost every wine made in order to inhibit harmful bacteria growth that would spoil the wine in the winemaking process, or in the bottle. As with any other substance, in the wrong quantities sulfur can alter the quality of the wine, so it’s crucial to determine exactly how much of it can be added safely to each wine assortment without changing its bouquet and other natural characteristics. Read on to find out more about the role of sulfur in making wine, as well as how you can determine the right quantities needed to keep the wine healthy and stable. Winemaking Stages During Which Sulfur Supplementation Becomes Necessary Experienced winemakers use sulfur not only to stabilize the wine aging process, but also as an agent for preparing the fruit for processing and fermentation. A small quantity of sulfur is added to that fruit to avoid spontaneous, premature fermentation and to keep oxidation to a minimum so winemakers don’t end up with too much brown juice, particularly when making a white wine. As it’s going through fermentation, the sulfur levels are kept out of the wine so that the yeast and the bacteria can take care of their work, and once the wine has finished undergoing primary and monolactic conversions, winemakers can proceed with making additional sulfur adjustments so that the wine stays healthy. Determining How Much Sulfur is Needed in Controlling the Wine Making Process With respect to the quantities of sulfur needed to make wine, the standard for keeping the wine free of bacterial spoilage and oxidation is to maintain the parts per million levels at about 25 to 35 parts per liter – where one part per million is the equivalent of one milligram per liter. “[…] We’re not talking about a lot of sulfur – you need to have just enough sulfur to keep the wine stable and work with the PH of the wine so that you don’t end up with bacteria that can actually thrive in an environment like the wine,” points out Kian Tavakoli, veteran winemaker at Crushpad. “Although the quantity of sulfur needed does depend on the wine’s PH, anywhere between 25 and 35 parts of sulfur should be adequate to keep any of your wines healthy.” According to Tavakoli, winemakers should procure sulfur in both liquid and powder forms, since the first is better suited for use in the earlier stages of winemaking, while the latter can be used to make slight adjustments several months later, as needed. Tavakoli also draws attention to the importance of monitoring the sulfur levels on a regular basis – about 3 to 4 weeks – all the way up to bottling. Here is Tavakoli with the explanation for that: “[…] The wine does pick up a little bit of dissolved oxygen as it goes through the filler and into the bottle, so you want to make sure that you have a nice sulfur component in your wine to take up that little bit of oxygen that gets picked up from the bottling process.” So there you have it – although only required in small amounts, sulfur is indispensable for a stable, healthy wine. However, to make sure you end up with a quality wine you need to pay attention not only to how much sulfur you add to it, but also to the time intervals between supplementation and the form of administration – solid or liquid. For more resources about making wine or about winemaking or even about make wine, please review these links.
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