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Specialists in Organic and Biodynamic Wine, Spirits, Beers & Juices
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Cool Grapes Can Mean a Cool Head
If, as Oscar Wilde said, work is the curse of the drinking classes, then hangovers come a close second. Vintage Roots, the UK's leading supplier of organic drinks, has part of the solution to the problem of a throbbing head and dodgy stomach: its new ‘no added sulphur’ Stellar Organics Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 from South Africa.
The Reading-based firm says that studies show one of the main causes of a hangover is the amount of sulphur dioxide in wine. The lower that amount, the less chance of a hangover, or allergic reaction. It’s a fact that 99.9% of winemakers add sulphur dioxide - often called sulphites - to inhibit or kill unwanted yeasts and bacteria, and to protect the wine from oxidation.
As a general rule, you will never find an ‘over-sulphured’ organic wine, as maximum levels are set low by the certification bodies. However at Stellar Organics, in South Africa’s Western Cape, winemakers have worked on techniques to further reduce the amount of sulphur in their wine - by simply not adding any. By cooling the grapes to 0ºC at the start of the production process, and using inert gas to keep oxygen out, the need to add extra sulphur dioxide is eliminated.
“Stellar Organics started experimenting with wines to which no sulphur dioxide had been added in 2004,” explains Lance Pigott, co-director of Vintage Roots. “This initially led to a range of no-added-sulphur red wines, as reds naturally contain more anti-oxidants, acquired from the grape skins and stems during fermentation. With additional research the 2006 season saw no-added-sulphur white wines added to the range’’
Among the wines Vintage Roots are importing from Stellar Organics is a 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon with no-added-sulphur. Made from grapes grown in the semi-arid landscape of the Western Cape this wine is also ethically produced, as Stellar Organics was the first organic vineyard to receive Fairtrade accreditation.
Vintage Roots supports the campaign for responsible drinking and, says Lance Pigott: “Even with no-added-sulphur wines you can still get a hangover if you drink to excess, as alcohol levels remain at normal strengths.”
And that may mean you won’t be able to get to work!
The wine may be ordered from Vintage Roots through their website www.vintageroots.co.uk or on freephone 0800 980 4992. It costs £6.50 per bottle or £78 per case. On special offer at £5.95 in the Vintage Roots Christmas Wine List until 11th January 2008. Delivery charge for orders of one bottle to 59 is £6.95.
www.businessinberkshire.co.uk/vintageroots
www.vintageroots.co.uk
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