Noble Rot #30

DON'T SULPHUR FOOLS

Published 28th October 2022 

Are the Sulphur Wars – the exhausting ideological battle over the addition of SO₂ that has polarised the natural and traditionalist wine scenes – finally coming to an end? Judging by the recent softening of rhetoric from previously purist quarters, we dare to hope. Here at Rotter Towers, we’ve always valued an open mind above generalisations, celebrating the best zero/ low-sulphur wines alongside decidedly unnatural classics from the ‘70s and ‘80s. So we’re delighted that divisions over one of the most important methods for wine preservation and hygiene are fast giving way to a middle ground. Here, we report on how adding the tiniest amounts of brimstone – the ancient name for sulphur – can mean fewer mousey, oxidised, or otherwise bogging wines.