Comments on: To Buy Organic Wine or Not? http://cheapwineratings.com/2007/12/01/to-buy-organic-wine-or-not/ Good Value Makes Wine Taste Better Sat, 28 Jan 2012 19:56:41 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Tim http://cheapwineratings.com/2007/12/01/to-buy-organic-wine-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-132 Tim Sun, 30 Dec 2007 00:59:10 +0000 http://cheapwineratings.com/2007/12/01/to-buy-organic-wine-or-not/#comment-132 That is an interesting point, Bob. I've always thought of "sulfites" as a generic term for the different sulfite compounds that can be added as stabilizers to wine. I've done a bit of home wine making and have used sodium metabisulfite at times and potassium metabisulfite at other times. That is an interesting point, Bob. I’ve always thought of “sulfites” as a generic term for the different sulfite compounds that can be added as stabilizers to wine.

I’ve done a bit of home wine making and have used sodium metabisulfite at times and potassium metabisulfite at other times.

]]> By: Bob http://cheapwineratings.com/2007/12/01/to-buy-organic-wine-or-not/comment-page-1/#comment-130 Bob Sat, 29 Dec 2007 17:21:38 +0000 http://cheapwineratings.com/2007/12/01/to-buy-organic-wine-or-not/#comment-130 As it turns out, I am a chemist and I wanted to just comment on the use of the term "sulfites". I see this a lot and I am not sure why the plural is used. Sulfite is an anion which is a sulfur atom combined with three oxygen atoms. This complex anion has an -2 electrical charge that is normally neutralized by a couple of singly charged sodium ions in the compound sodium sulfite. Another common form is sodium bisulfite which is the same sulfite anion combined with one hydrogen and one sodium instead of two sodiums. Sulfite is a very good antioxidant and is oxidized to sulfate which is a very common and innocuous anion found everywhere. The only way I could see the term sulfites being used legitimately is if a combination of sodium sulfite and sodium bisulfite is used in the wine. This is a plausible combination if the winemaker is trying to keep the pH of the wine in a certain range, so maybe that is the explanation for the plural form. As it turns out, I am a chemist and I wanted to just comment on the use of the term “sulfites”. I see this a lot and I am not sure why the plural is used. Sulfite is an anion which is a sulfur atom combined with three oxygen atoms. This complex anion has an -2 electrical charge that is normally neutralized by a couple of singly charged sodium ions in the compound sodium sulfite. Another common form is sodium bisulfite which is the same sulfite anion combined with one hydrogen and one sodium instead of two sodiums. Sulfite is a very good antioxidant and is oxidized to sulfate which is a very common and innocuous anion found everywhere.

The only way I could see the term sulfites being used legitimately is if a combination of sodium sulfite and sodium bisulfite is used in the wine. This is a plausible combination if the winemaker is trying to keep the pH of the wine in a certain range, so maybe that is the explanation for the plural form.

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