People with sulfite sensitivities might be interested in the wine pick of the week at SeattlePI.com: 2006 Amity Vineyards Eco-Wine Pinot Noir Willamette Valley. "Eco-Wine" is the company's trademarked name for their self-proclaimed "sulfite free" organic wines. Now, technically the wines do have sulfites that occur as a natural by-product of fermentation, but in trace amounts that can not be detected during tests.

Why are sulfites such a big deal to people? The article states:

Sulfites have been used for centuries to stabilize wines and purify barrels. They also occur naturally during fermentation. Because a small percentage of people have an asthmalike reaction to the substance (sorry, but it is not the cause of headaches), a warning label has been required on wines containing more than a certain amount. Less than that amount and no label is required.

Eco-Wine labels are not required to bear the dreaded "Contains Sulfites" warning, and instead are able to boast, "No Detectable Sulfites. At any rate, the Pinot Noir was described as:

Plump and juicy with layers of interesting red and black fruit and hints of spice. Try it with roasted duck, turkey or salmon.

The ECO-Pinot Noir recently won a gold medal at the Oregon State Fair, beating out 207 other wines from across the state. The wine retails for $23. Amity Vineyards has other ECO offerings available as well:

• 2006 ECO•WINE® Stater Vineyard Pinot Blanc/Chardonnay - $15
• 2006 ECO•WINE® Stater Vineyard Gamay Noir - $20
• 2006 ECO•WINE® Meadows Vineyard Marchal Foch - $20

For more information, visit Amity Vineyards online.