A swizzle stick would normally seem out of place in a glass of Chardonnay or a bottle of Pinot, but the team behind Winestiq thinks the concept could stick.
The local brand has set out to give those who suffer from wine headaches, stuffiness, an upset stomach, and redness a way to drink wine again by using a portable plastic stirrer that removes sulfites, the preservatives that are created naturally (or sometimes added) during the fermentation process.
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Scientist Alan MacInnes first set out to create the product in 2015 to help his wife tackle sulfite sensitivity. His device, called StiQit, received assistance from BioGenerator, a St. Louis innovative investment fund for biotech startups, but late last year, the startup was bought and rebranded by health and wellness company Wellth Holdings, headed by Laura Burkemper.
“The science is the same; the look and feel is what’s different,” Burkemper says, noting that the company has recently introduced a stick that can remove sulfites from a full bottle of wine.
In either case, each wand contains a cluster of rings at one end that act as aerators, and one ring contains paper mesh treated with FDA-approved hydrogen peroxide. When the wand is swirled in the wine for about 10 seconds, the hydrogen peroxide works to oxidize and neutralize sulfites to keep the drinker from experiencing side effects.
Burkember says the hydrogen peroxide is “at the right parts per million so that you don’t taste it, it doesn’t change the color of the wine, and there’s no aroma. You might notice it takes a little bit of the bite out, or you might not notice anything at all.”
The product is designed to work with any kind of wine, but “people gravitate to the red,” Burkemper says. “Actually, there are more sulfites typically in white wine. Some have more than others.”
While it’s common for people to experience headaches when drinking wine, whether sulfites are the cause is still up for debate—the FDA suggests that sulfite sensitivity is more common for people with asthma, but even then, the amount contained in most wines is generally lower than that of some other foods that are not commonly linked to headaches, according to a 2014 study in the Journal of Head and Face Pain, also referenced in this article from Wired. Red wines also contain histamine, which can cause headaches and stuffiness, while some sufferers point to tannins, chemicals found in grape skin and seeds, as being the culprit.
Still, there are many who swear they have a sulfite allergy and will avoid them altogether, even if it means ditching wine in favor of another beverage for a toast. What’s more, Burkemper says a larger majority of Winestiq’s target customers are particularly curious about the product because they’re attracted to the idea of living clean and preservative-free. “When people realize they can now enjoy that wine moment—when you’re raising a glass and cheering with family and friends—they’re excited,” she says.
Currently, Winestiq is available online and in 10 stores around St. Louis including St. Louis Wine Market in Chesterfield, Total Wine & More in Chesterfield, The Wine & Cheese Place in Ballwin, The Wine Barrel in Sunset Hills, Vom FASS in Maplewood, and Olive Ovation in Ladue. A box of four single-glass sticks retails for $4.95, while a box of two full bottle sticks is $6.95.
