Sulfites: A tool, not a statement about quality

The standard

Risk-based sulfur addition derives the quantity from the state of the wine, not from a target figure. What is decisive is pH, microbial load, oxygen uptake and the intended duration of ageing.

Criteria

• The pH decides what share is present in an effective form at all
• Every addition follows a measurement, not a recipe
• Every addition is justified individually, not planned in the aggregate
• Doing without remains a decision carrying risk, not a distinction

Distinction

Free sulfur ≠ total sulfur: only the free share protects, and of that only the molecular form is effective. Risk-based sulfur addition therefore distinguishes between quantity and effect. Sulfite level ≠ wine quality: the size of an addition says nothing about the wine, but about the risk of oxidation that it covers.