Puzzled by wine with legs or can't tell your retsina from your raka? Send any tipple-related questions to Neil Pendock at travelmag@sundaytimes.co.za

Q: Our daughter, Yvonne, is getting married in September and as parents of the bride, we've been tasked with arranging the reception. I have a ferocious allergy to sulphur - can you recommend a suitable sparkling wine for the celebration? - Caroline Brown, Sea Point

A: Sulphur allergies are fairly common and it's something I'm surprised the wine industry does not address with more low-sulphur wines. There will always be some sulphur in a wine as yeasts produce sulphur compounds during the fermentation process. But sulphur dioxide, added to preserve wine and prevent spoilage and oxidation, is another matter entirely.

Simonsig, which pioneered bottled fermented sparkling wine in SA 40 years ago this year, have just released the second vintage of their Pinot Noir Brut Rosé 2010, which contains no added sulphur. Made exclusively for Woolworths, it costs under R100 a bottle and special, low-sulphidation yeasts were used to ferment the grapes.

Woolies also stocks white and red wines with no added sulphur, so you can safely expand the allergy-free wine list. These wines typically have a shorter shelf life than their sulphured colleagues and some bottles even have a sell-by date. They are made to be drunk, not cellared, which makes them ideal for a wedding reception.