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We love our evening (and sometimes afternoon!) glasses of wine, but it can be a buzz kill to consider the sugar, chemicals, and other additives that may be inside that glass (and the potential hangover the next morning). Now readily available “clean wines” are available to purchase courtesy of Thrive Market.
There are 62 chemical materials that can legally be added into wines without being disclosed on the label. Common additives include chemical preservatives (to sterilize the wines), copper sulfate (to hide unwanted odors), flavors (to mimic smoked oak minus the cost of the wood), and added sugar.
Before you freak out, it’s important to know that they help stabilize the flavor and aroma of the wines, which as living organisms can be volatile to change. Experts like Wine Folly will tell you these additives are closely regulated and are considered safe with no harmful side affects (BTW studies have shown wine headaches are caused by histamines aka an allergic reaction to the wine itself, the alcohol, or the yeast used to ferment the wine). *But* why risk it if there are plenty of wines that don’t go the conventional route?
Thrive’s mission is to provide organic and affordable food its customers, and the company wanted to expand its offerings to wines that fit within those parameters. “We don’t want chemicals in the foods we eat, so why should we drink them in our wines?” Thrive says in a press release. Curated by master sommelier Josh Nadel, the new line of clean wines are organic, biodynamic, and budget-friendly. They come in packs of six or 12 and retail from $12 to $18 plus free shipping.
Thrive promises its selection of wines contain no added sugar, minimal fining and filtration, low sulfites, no flash pasteurization, no preservatives like DMDC (dimethyldicarbonate) or PVPP (polyvinylpolypyrrolidone), and no other additives — just fermented grape juice in those bottles for your sipping pleasure. Varietals are sourced from around the world and include options like Tenuta Santa Lucia Sangiovese Toscano 2014, Domaine Roquemale Gres Syrah 2016, Chateau Du Cedre Cahors Heritage Malbec 2015, and many more.
Do you want to try this clean wine? Tell us @BritandCo!
(Photos via Thrive Market)
