Wine producers claim that the wine on supermarket shelves is wholly a natural product, but manufacturers use a variety of ingredients including artificial flavourings and additives to create flavours, while some add oak chips to give the vanilla taste.
In a bid to boost profits, some wine is apparently so industrially processed that one critic has dubbed it no better than an alcoholic cola, reports the London newspaper, The Sun.
According to estimates, famous brands Hardys, Gallo, Blossom Hill, Jacob's Creek and Stowells collectively sold more than £1billion worth of wine last year.
None of these brands lists ingredients other than sulphites, which they need to mention out of legal compulsion due to its possible causal link to asthma.
However, when quizzed, it was discovered that Hardys add yeast to their Merlot and use egg, milk and gelatine to fine their product to make it less cloudy.
Jacob's Creek admits to adding tartaric and ascorbic acid to their Chardonnay and also uses clay, enzymes and milk powder as a fining agent for white wine.
Blossom Hill accepted that they might add tartaric acids, enzymes and tannins to the grape juice and use yeast nutrients and malolactic bacteria during fermentation of red wine.
Stowells and Gallo simply refused to give details and said their wine was made in accordance with EU regulations according to Yahoo News.
Overall, the government has allowed the wine industry to use more than 50 different flavourings, additives, preservatives and agents. It won't be wrong to say that neither the advertisements nor the labels give a full picture as according to the current legislation, producers do not have to list ingredients.
According to the release by ANI, one producer said that mentioning ingredients would be tantamount to commercial suicide, presumably because it might put the customer off and result in lower sales.
Although there are no scientifically or medically proven statistics have been provided, it is safe to surmise that better quality wines use less sulphites and other outside ingredients that may cause headaches.
While no large sample studies seem to have been chosen for a study on the subject, I do get a headache whenever I drink more than two glasses of the wines mentioned. On the other hand, a bottle or more of fine Burgundy, Super Tuscan, Brunello or a Bordeaux classified growth causes no such physical pain. Also when a few people I have advised drink organic wine or shift to better quality wines, the problem seems to be alleviated to quite an extent. Readers comments are solicited- especially those who can bring forward some studies done of the subject. Editor |