(WineFolly) - There is a lot of fear and distrust around the topic of wine additives and it’s not exactly unfounded. Over thirty years ago, there was a group of incidents where industrial chemicals used to sweeten low-quality wines poisoned wine consumers (separate cases from Italy and Austria). Since then, authorities have taken measures to protect against harmful chemicals, but we haven’t forgotten the scare. Surprisingly, most additives aren’t as bad as they seem.

The main reason wine additives are popular is because most are harmless (when used correctly) and improve the organoleptic qualities (taste, smell, etc), stability, color, clarity, and age-worthiness of the wine.

Let’s take a look at what additives are commonly used in winemaking. Some of them are useful for making great wine, and others could be more questionable. Either way, it’s useful to know what goes into what you drink. Winemaking is a fascinating balance of science and chemistry.