For some people, a glass of red wine is an invitation to a roaring headache. After a few such episodes, they banish wine from their tables for life. They think they are allergic to wine when what really affects them are the histamines in red wine. Sulfites used to take the blame for red wine headaches.
About 20 years ago, the Food and Drug Administration determined that about one percent of the population is allergic to sulftes so the government required wines made with sulfites (Sulfur Dioxide or SO2) to be labeled, “Contains Sulfites.” At elevated levels, sulfites can cause an allergic reaction, but they give headaches only to asthmatics. The more common symptom of sulfite sensitivity is a breathing problem, hot flashes, red flush of the face, ears and neck, puffiness and hives. I’m very sensitive to SO2 and have experienced all these reactions. We make Deerfield wine with very little SO2. The SO2, used to keep the wine from oxidizing while working the barrels and at bottling, combines with the oxygen in the wine and become non-reactive (inert) SO3. We don’t release our wine until the SO2 reaches non-reactive levels.
Deerfield wine also has very low levels of histamines. When we increased our production in 1996, Robert insisted we get a custom made sorting table to go with our new high tech de-stemmer.
The sorting table cost $28,000 and that’s only part of the expense. It takes six people to sort out the damaged fruit that we’ve already purchased. The end result, however, justifies the cost.
Those who get headaches and have reactions from other wines can drink Deerfield wine. One of our winery partners, Kent Evans says, “It doesn’t matter how much a wine costs, it matters how clean the wine is. A wine with histamines means a two-day migraine for me. So finding a red wine that I can drink is a dream come true. Now I take Deerfield wine with me wherever I go. I’ve gone from not being able to drink red wine to enjoying some of the best wine in the world - Deerfield.”
Now you know what clean wine means. It helps explain why one day you drink one glass of wine and feel terrible and then another day you have two glasses and feel no bad effects. Deerfield wine lovers definitely know the difference.
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PJ Rex, the winemakers wife,
co-founder and G.M. of
Deerfield Ranch Winery
