New World Winemaker Blog

It’s happened to the best of us and, unfortunately, we all know the feeling: Waking up the next morning, feeling like death warmed up and swearing you’ll never drink again. But what exactly is a hangover and what in wine causes hangovers?

For those who don’t know, common features of hangovers include headaches, nausea, fatigue, dehydration and weakness, even mild depression. I must admit I didn’t realize hangovers are that complex until I started to research them. It gets a little technical, I know, but hang in there – it’s pretty interesting!

The most common cause of a wine hangover is dehydration. Alcohol causes the body to lose water through a complex pathway, resulting in the brain temporarily shrinking. This puts the membranes under strain, causing a headache. This goes hand in hand with a very dry mouth. Furthermore, alcohol causes glycogen (your medium-term energy store) to be converted into glucose and excreted along with salts and minerals, causing you to feel tired the next day. Are you ready to open the next bottle of Chenin yet?

Another major cause of hangovers is biogenic amines, specifically histamine, a chemical we usually associate with allergic reactions. Almost all alcoholic beverages contain some histamine, especially red wine, as it is made from whole grapes. Some people are more sensitive to histamine than others, which can lead to allergic reactions. Symptoms may vary from rosy cheeks to bad headaches. This has nothing to do with the vast amount of wine they knocked back the previous night, of course… There are quite a few factors that can influence the histamine content of wine, and most of them are related to the microbial health of the wine. So, it is very possible that the red wine from one producer will be fine while the same variety from another producer will give you a splitting headache.

And then there is acetaldehyde, which is a by-product of the liver breaking down alcohol. The body can break down small quantities of acetaldehyde, but it cannot metabolize large quantities acetaldehyde, which adds to your hangover. Interesting to note here is that acetaldehyde is closely related to formaldehyde, the preservative that scientists use to store dodgy organs in jars. That really makes you reach out to your wine rack, doesn’t it?

Next is a group of molecules called congeners, which is commonly found in dark-colored drinks like red wine, brandy and whiskey. Very little is known about this chemical group, but apparently it is not very good for us, hence the hangovers.

Interestingly, in my research for this article, I found no mention of sulfur – one of the most popular culprits on which hangovers are pinned. Now you know what happens on the odd occasion when you lose the plot. Having said that, I still believe that moderate wine consumption will definitely add quality to your life and health. Cheers!

Boela Gerber is the winemaker of Groot Constantia wine estate in South Africa. This blog was originally published on www.conca.co.za.

An experimental batch of Petit Verdot turned out to be a pioneering piece of art for Stellenzicht Winemaker, Guy Webber, who has recently introduced Stellenzicht’s first ‘no added sulphur’ wines – a Petit Verdot 2008 and Chardonnay 2009.

To classify as a low sulphite wine, the free SO₂ count should not exceed ten parts per million – which can prove to be quite a challenge, since wine yeasts naturally produce sulphur during fermentation. Guy has been experimenting with low sulphur wines for several vintages and explains that these wines are kept in the bottle for six to nine months before they are released – “just to make sure that they’ve made it.”

The Petit Verdot boasts with a particularly interesting story. The wine spent a year on the skins, which is unheard of in conventional winemaking. “Petit Verdot is known for its intense colour and impressive tannin structure, but this wine has turned out to be surprisingly soft and velvety, “ explains Guy.

Sulphur acts as an anti-oxidant in wine, a role that is also fulfilled by tannins. The Petit Verdot was fermented in old 500L barrels that have been transformed into mini rototanks at Stellenzicht. “These barrels are ideal vessels to ferment and mature small batches of wine. We have more than 20 at the moment and also use them for Shiraz.”

The Chardonnay literally went from tank to bottle to avoid exposure to oxygen and was not cold stabilised. Guy adds that the bottling process was done with particular caution, to avoid oxygen exposure or microbial contamination.

This has indeed been worthwhile, with the Chardonnay developing a remarkably complex flavour spectrum of melons, pineapples and citrus, while the palate is surprisingly rich and buttery.

The newest addition to the low sulphur range is most likely to be a Pinotage, which has already been bottled and is now spending time in the bottle to monitor its development. This would be the first commercial low sulphur Pinotage in the world.

Edo Heyns is a winemaker, turned wine journalist working for WineLand magazine.

The SurePure system is a brilliant South African invention that sterilizes liquid by means of UV-lights. By exposing the liquid (albeit wine, milk or fruit juice) to the UV-lights, harmful bacteria and other micro-organisms are destroyed without heating the product, as would be the case with pasteurization and similar processes.

The revolutionary technology has proven a great success in the dairy and fruit juice industries, while large beer producers are doing trials with great expectations.

Theoretically this technology could be extremely useful for wine sterilization as well. However, when the company approached the wine industry, its marketing strategy focused on producing “sulphur-free” wines, with catchy phrases claiming that this is the end of hangovers.

Prominent wineries did trials with varying success, with one of the first winemakers that used the machine (and prefers to remain anonymous), stating that lower sulphur levels could be achieved through SurePure, especially in reds.

“Red wine contains a multitude of natural preservatives like tannins, which can protect it against oxidation. We did fairly successful trials with Merlot, but Sauvignon Blanc was a completely different story.”

Because Sauvignon Blanc doesn’t have the same buffering systems than in the case of red wines, it is a lot more vulnerable. Reductive winemaking has become a norm for Sauvignon Blanc and this is impossible without the use of sulphur. Consequently the South African Wine and Spirits Board has rejected certification for Sauvignon blancs produced using the SurePure technology; claiming that the flavour of the wine is not true to the variety.

And what about claims about the end of hangovers? Didn’t the presence of alcohol occur to them? Although this would obviously have escalated SurePure sales if there was conclusive truth to these claims, but I find this pretty silly.

The SurePure system does however have a role to play in the wine industry, as an option for wine sterilisation and stabilisation – just like cross-flow filters and sulphur have roles to play.

Edo Heyns is a winemaker, turned wine journalist working for WineLand magazine.

At the recent launch of South African icon wine producer, Kanonkop’s prestigious “Black Label” Pinotage, owner Johann Krige pulled out a few older vintages to show the maturation potential of these wines. The chemical analyses of all the wines were proudly presented and the different sulphur levels were particularly interesting.

The older vintages were bottled at significantly lower sulphur levels than that of the current release and most red wines on the market. Despite this, they still kept magnificently well and were brimming with fresh fruit, boasting dark, attractive colour.

This raises the question if sulphur additions have become a standard precautionary standard, even though some wines can keep well without this preservative? Kanonkop winemaker and international winemaker of the year 2008, Abrie Beeslaar explained that these wines were made in a very different style and that other variables such as tannins and alcohol also play a role in maturation potential. Beyers Truter (international winemaker of the year 1991) – who made the earlier vintages – now also bottles at higher sulphur levels at Beyerskloof.

Renewed interest in healthier foods and lifestyle products has, however, opened a gap in the market for wines with lower sulphur levels – mostly because of perceived health benefits. Whether this is feasible is another debate, since fruit juice and especially dried fruits and raisins very often have much higher sulphur levels than wine, while they are seldom seen as unhealthy or the causes of a hangover.

Most winemakers and those with a bit of wine knowledge would agree that sulphur is not the ultimate evil it is often made up to be. Sulphur – in several different forms – is naturally produced by wine yeasts and is also part of several sought-after flavour compounds, while it also plays a crucial role in reductive wine making. The key seems to be to maintain the minimum sufficient sulphur levels – enough to prevent spoilage, without affecting flavour and health.

The South African Wine and Spirits Board stipulates that wines should have free sulphur levels that are below 60 ppm and that total sulphur should not exceed 160 ppm. These rules are duly obeyed for all wines, even though stylistic differences mean that all wines do not require the same dosage of sulphur. Producers also tend to aim for these figures, rather than interpreting them as maximum levels.

See parts 2 and 3 for new technology, stylistic differences and other grounded and less grounded sulphur perceptions.

Edo Heyns is a winemaker, turned wine journalist working for WineLand magazine.