Sulfur Wick Treatment
3 March 2022
The practice of protecting wine by burning sulfur inside barrels,(Dutch Match) known as Dutch Match, is a Dutch invention first mentioned in Bordeaux in 1765*.
This process involves sterilizing a barrel without deeply disinfecting the wood. A sulfur wick is lit and introduced through the bung hole, releasing sulfurous gas vapors that kill bacteria while also contributing to the sulfiting of the wine later aged in the barrel.
Jean-Robert Pitte (Bordeaux Bourgogne : Histoire d’une rivalité) highlights the significance of this discovery:« he great 18th century evolution in hygiene came from Holland: the use of sulfur. A sulfur wick is burned in the rinsed barrel—ready to receive wine from another racked barrel—to sterilize it, meaning to kill the bacterial flora. While the wine may lose a bit of color during this process, it quickly regains it and can be preserved for a long time. »
Today, the amounts of sulfur, or sulfur dioxide (SO2), used to stabilize wines microbiologically and protect them from oxidation, have significantly decreased. Advances in microbiology related to grapes and wine have enabled the implementation of alternative techniques, such as: Using carbonic ice or general cooling of grapes and must before fermentation.
Sterile filtration. Additionally, the growing trend of natural wines without added sulfites aligns with the broader movement toward organic agriculture.
The discovery of sulfur wicking played a major role in transforming the barrel from a simple transportation vessel to an essential winemaking tool. Henri Enjalbert, in his Histoire de la vigne et du vin: L’avènement de la qualité : « Vinification improved once barrels and tanks could be sterilized with sulfur wicks. From that point on, wine could age. This delicate operation was perfected through frequent racking and egg-white fining. Clarified and stored in new oak barrels, wines acquired the distinctive qualities of great wines. »
*René Pijassou discovered the first mention of this method in an English text from 1765, preserved in the archives of the Cartrons Johnston wine merchants.
Visual © Christophe Deschanel
