Sulfites are the most misunderstood thing in wine.

They're the #1 reason people say they get headaches.
They're the only "ingredient" required on the label.

They occur naturally in wine whether you add any or not.

Only a small number of people have a genuine sulfite sensitivity, and if you're one of them, you probably already know it.

Want a quick test? Eat some dried fruit. Dried apricots contain 2,000–3,000 ppm sulfites. Wine tops out around 150 ppm. If dried fruit doesn't bother you, sulfites aren't your problem.

So what IS causing the headaches?

I don't fully know and I've been looking into this since I started @peonylanewine. I've had wines leave me feeling groggy, flushed, and foggy, while others fade completely clean.

There are 76 FDA-approved additives that can go into wine without ingredients label disclosure. Most of them aren't harmful to most people, but without talking directly to your winemaker, there's no way to know which ones were used.

The only thing I add to my wine is a small amount of potassium metabisulfite right before bottling for shelf stability. The feedback I get consistently is that people feel clean and clear the next morning in a way that surprises them.

I'm at one end of the spectrum and I'd genuinely like to know where the middle ground is. What can add or leave out of wine and still have people feel good.

I haven't found a clear answer yet and if you have, I'd love to hear it.