I No Longer Get Headaches After Drinking Wine, Thanks to the Üllo Purifier
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There are a lot of cool things out there that make us wonder — do they really work? In our I Tried It series, we set out to use them in the real world and have determined that, in fact, they really do.
The Product on Trial
The Tester
Brandon Carte, who has a cabinet full of wine that is begging to be drunk but happens to be one of the few who is allergic to sulfites.
The Brief
If you suffer from a sulfite allergy and oftentimes get a headache, itchy throat, or a rash after drinking wine, the Üllo Wine Purifier can help you enjoy wine without any uncomfortable (and irritating) side effects. It's a small device that uses a food-grade, super porous polymer to remove histamines and sulfites from your vino — which run rampant in most wines. The nifty device also doubles as a wine aerator to accelerate oxidation and enhance your wines in the process.
When it comes to allergies, my mother was dealt a really crappy hand. She suffers from dozens of allergies ranging from bug bites, medication, various fruits, and even grass. Luckily for me, the biggest allergy pain point I inherited is sulfites. Because of this, I rarely drink wine — even though I love the taste and wish my allergy didn't prevent me from enjoying a nice pour from time to time.
If you love wine like me but hate the side effects that come with it, you need to invest in the Üllo. It's a small, travel-friendly wine purifier that rests comfortably on your wine glass or one of Üllo's handsome decanters. It can also aerate (add air) to your wine to improve its flavor while it removes the sulfites from it.
Üllo is composed of four separate pieces that snap together almost like Lego. There's a plastic aerator at the bottom, a funnel, a filter tray, and a reservoir where you slowly pour your wine. It takes about 5 minutes to filter an entire bottle (750 milliliters) of wine, which is a little slow but doesn't really bother me, since I'm normally finishing up dinner while the wine passes through the filter and drips into a decanter.
If you're extremely sensitive to sulfites you can filter the wine a second time. Although I wish the filters would last as long as the ones that purify water, you should dispose of Üllo's filters after use. I typically rinse the Üllo by hand in the sink, but all of its parts are safe on the top rack of your dishwasher.
I actually heard about the Üllo from my boss who also suffers from a similar sulfite allergy. I'll be honest with you — when I learned that the Üllo came from a Kickstarter campaign, I immediately had some doubts. But after some research, I'm happy to report that the company was founded by a self-proclaimed “huge science dork,” who received a doctorate in chemistry from Northwestern University.
A Quick Lesson on Sulfites
Sulfites come into wine in various ways, including as a byproduct of fermentation but also as a preservative. Sulfites are also common in canned veggies, jams, and bottled citrus juices. That's because they help maintain food color and shelf-life —plus, they prevent the growth of bacteria.
They’re crucial for wines because they prevent oxidation and microbial spoilage. Sulfites also contribute to aging potential, which is a major element of any and all wines. Without sulfites, your wine probably wouldn’t make it to your glass. Well, it would physically — but it would taste like straight-up vinegar.
Although the amount of sulfites found in a glass of wine is extremely low, at just around 0.005 to 0.010 grams, those little buggers can cause a whole host of issues, including itchy throat, flushing, and congestion. The Üllo reduces sulfites by more than 80% — which is a major win in my book (and in my glass).
Thanks to the Üllo, I can now enjoy a few glasses of wine without fear of getting a dreaded wine headache. If you're curious about whether or not the Üllo affects the taste of wine, I personally couldn't tell the difference between unfiltered and filtered red wine — and white wine tasted noticeably better after it was filtered with the Üllo.
Lastly, it's worth a mention that the filters have a shelf life of 6 months, so if you only occasionally drink wine, there's no need to stock up on Üllo filters like you may wine bottles since they come in a 25-pack.
Closing Argument
I've been counting on the Üllo for over a year now, and it's seriously changed how I enjoy wine — because I can actually enjoy it now. It's a game-changing product for those who are sensitive to sulfites, and I can confidently say that it makes wine less whine-inducing for me — sans wine headaches and all.
More of Üllo's Wine Products:
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