Are Sulfites in Wine Bad for Your Health? With the ominous contains sulfites label that accompanies most wine bottles, consumers have grown wary of sulfur in wine. Despite the recent push for natural and sulfite-free wine, these titles create havoc for winemakers who do not use these descriptors. What most don’t realize is that sulfur is a byproduct of fermentation. Thus, sulfur not only plays a role in maintaining the freshness and flavor of wine, but its presence is a natural part of the winemaking process. The Use of Additives in Wine Throughout the Years While natural wine has become a trendy concept, the product itself isn’t new; wine labels that tout their product as natural merely are referring to the traditional methodology of making wine from unaltered grape juice with no additives, which stands in contrast to other wines found on your local supermarket shelf. Some use many of the 62 government approved additives [CFR 24.246], such as fake