Natural Wines - this category includes both sulphite free wines plus some organic or biodynamic wines, so we have made a separate page for them here...

Legal Disclaimer

It is our aim here to help and educate people who may be suffering from an intolerance to sulphites. Different people have different levels of tolerance and experience different symptoms. If you believe you are intolerant to sulphites you are advised to seek professional medical help.

No Added Preservative Wines

Referred to as NAP wines. As the UK's leading specialist on the subject, we have a range of superb quality 'sulphite free' wines. The vast majority of 'sulphite free' wines are pretty poor in quality and taste. The ones we've sourced however are not only no added sulphur, they're also fantastic wines in their own right, produced using both organic and biodynamic farming principles. These wines are 'pure' with tremendous flavour, structure and length. I firmly believe once you try these wines you'll want to stick to drinking just them, as their purity highlights the artificial flavours found in many other wines. They are made with real passion by producers who live a philosophy of natural production without any chemicals whatsoever. And for those 'experts' in the wine trade that will tell you wine without sulphur will not keep, we drank a bottle from 1999, and another from 2000 which were simply stunning!

Boutique Organic Wines

It's very important to understand that 'organic wine' is actually 'wine made from organically grown grapes'. Once these grapes leave the vineyard en route to the winery they are subject to the same treatment as any other grapes including the addition of sulphur and up to another 80 different chemicals!

Thus cheap 'organic' wine is still often factory produced plonk with a high proportion of chemicals! Just when we thought we were drinking the most natural wines we could find! Many people tell me they've had worse hangovers and side effects from organic wines than from standard wines! The reason is these big companies see the 'organic' tag as a powerful marketing tool to exploit people looking for natural wines. All they have to do is buy some low quality organically grown grapes then vinify them as they would any other grape, then they're allowed to state 'wine produced from organically grown grapes' on the label!

The good news though, is that the organic wine we would all like to buy, made by a small family producer with passion, dedication and pride, is available. We have some superb boutique 'organic' wines which are crafted by individuals, not churned out in factories.

The truth is you get what you pay for in life. A handcrafted wine cannot be made at the same price as one mass produced in a factory, whether it be organic, biodynamic, or just standard wine. Due to the weak pound and our high excise duty rates, to get good quality wine you have to be prepared to pay upwards of £8 per bottle. But the good news is these wines are so much nicer, and also so much healthier for you too.

The World Health Organisation has recently recommended phasing out sulphites, after the Centre for Science in the Public Interest recommended banning them 25 years ago! You'll notice big companies are all quietly phasing them out because they know the serious effects they have on people's health, such as asthma, stomach cancer and throat cancer. The World Health Organistion recently announced 2 glasses daily of (mass produced, high sulphite) wine can cause cancer! Even MacDonalds now use organic milk in their coffee - but do they advertise it? No! Because they want to do everything on a low profile so nobody questions why it wasn't done years ago. The supermarkets are all moving toward 'no artificial colours or preservatives' on their own label foods. Why? And why without announcing it? Because they want to avoid future law suits without bringing attention to the fact now. When questioned in a few years, they will proudly announce that they pioneered phasing out sulphites in the public interest, not that they've exploited the situation for the last 30 years.

The paharmaceutical arm of Nestle is investing tens of millions in Resveratrol, a natural anti oxidant which is found in grape skins, in Australia and the Far East. Have we heard of it here? The EU have blocked the import of resveratrol enhanced wine into Europe for the last 3 years!

The truth is these sulphites have major implications on our health and the big companies who have used them are desperately pioneering the development of more natural substitutes. It was actually announced on the BBC this week (August 2010) that asthma rates in the UK have increased 500% over recent years, and Dr Rosemary Leonard said 'nobody knew why - perhaps it was a lack of bacteria? - because it hasn't increased in 3rd world countries.' 3rd world countries don't preserve all their foods with sulphites! The research is all there for these people to study. The Australian wine industry has researched it and pioneered the development of resveratrol instead. I recall Scully and Mulder used to say 'the truth is out there' but the sad truth is, big business doesn't want the general public to know about it!

Good quality red wine low in sulphites is actually extremely beneficial to your health. It lowers bad cholesterol, increases good cholesterol, and is a preventer of vascular disease. The anti oxidants combat free radicals in your body reducing the likelihood of cancer. In fact according to renowned physician and winemaker, Dr Phil Norrie, 'people who regularly drink good red wine in moderation have the lowest death rates of all causes'.

Highly chemicalled factory produced plonk can have the opposite effect!

If you want delicious, naturally made wines with no added sulphur and no chemical intervention whatsoever click here