Which substances present in wine can be responsible for allergies? What do the labels tell us? What does the legislation provide? We asked those who make wine
Headache and sense of dizziness, stomach ache and intestinal disorders, spots on the skin and itching, asthma and difficulty breathing: these are all symptoms that refer to an allergy or intolerance. When these annoyances come after drinking a glass of wine, one wonders if he is really responsible. And if diagnosis and treatment are to be entrusted strictly to the doctor, we can try to orient ourselves in the world of regulation and production. Of course, if you are allergic to grapes or intolerant to alcohol, the only possibility is to simply stay away from the glass. But there are also other substances that can be annoying, from tannins to yeasts.
What the legislation says
According to the law, however, there are few substances defined as allergens that may be present in wine: sulphites and milk and egg derivatives. Starting from 1 July 2012 the presence of these substances must be declared on the label. The indication must be given in the language of the European state in which the wine will be sold, and can be supplemented by the presence of pictograms. Milk and egg derivatives must be declared if present in quantities exceeding 0.25 mg / l, while for sulphites the limit is 10 mg / l. Finally the terms: egg products can be "egg", "egg protein", egg derivatives "," egg lysozyme "," egg albumin "; for milk derivatives "milk", "milk derivatives", "milk casein", "milk protein.
However, as often happens, the legislation does not seem to be sufficient. "That of allergies is unfortunately a world in strong expansion," he explains Umberto Quaquarini, winemaker and owner of theQuaquarini Francesco Farm in Canneto Pavese, which continues: "Often in the cellars fish derivatives and other chemical substances are used which are potential allergens, but which it is not obligatory to declare, and which we obviously do not use".
The word to the producers
"Unfortunately, in wine there is too much chemistry, and some make use of it by default: the legislation allows the use of many substances, all perfectly legal. Sulfites are only the best known allergen, which also had a strong resonance at the media level. Surely we could work within lower limits, and we do it. " And the metals? "Limits are also set by law for nickel, zinc, iron and copper. But it must be kept in mind that the wine undergoes an alcoholic fermentation, during which these substances precipitate. And then the tools: once they could release metals, because iron or bronze tools were used. Today everything is much safer. " The work in the cellar, however, is preceded by the work in the vineyard: "Even in the countryside you should work better, using less chemistry. We have chosen an entirely organic production. A choice that imposes lower limits, but it is not enough, we must work well. For this reason it cannot be said whether a white or red wine is safer. It certainly is safer a wine made well.
Quality and attention to the product is the main factor to pay attention to even according to Francesco Drusian, owner of theDrusian Agricultural Company of Valdobbiadene and winemaker, who explains: «We follow the wine supply chain at 360 ° C. The only potential allergen we use is metabisulfite, but we use it in minimal quantities, well below the threshold allowed by European law. We must also remember that in wines refermented in the bottle the quantity of sulphites is minimal, precisely because oxygen is almost absent . They are not allergens recognized by legislation, but often give problems: yeasts are used in all wines. «Also for i yeast, Drusian continues,« we choose a native yeast produced by the dregs of our wines. So we have everything under control. It must also be taken into account that it is very difficult for yeasts to remain in the finished product, because they generally precipitate. Take for example the Valdobbiadene DOCG spumante: it is microfiltered, so it contains neither yeasts nor bacteria. Only in the case of the DOC "with the bottom" remain yeast sediments that are deposited in the bottom of the bottle ".
However, the best strategy seems to be knowledge: obviously always read the labels, and then inquire, ask, maybe talk to those who produce the wines you like best, to see if they can cause problems or not.
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