For some people sensitive to sulfites, drinking wine can be both a pleasure and a curse. Now a company in South Africa has developed a technology that has the potential to revolutionize the part of the winemaking process responsible for causing such grief.

Sulfites (also spelled sulphites), are essentially sulfur dioxide compounds (SO2) added to wine in order to preserve it by inhibiting oxidation and destroying undesirable microbes. Virtually all wines contain sulfites as it is a fundamental part of the winemaking process.Unfortunately, sulfites can cause headaches and allergic reactions in some people who are particularly sensitive.

Now, a new technology called "Surepure" may dramatically reduce the amount of sulfites used by winemakers by using ultraviolet light instead. About the size of a couple of refrigerators, Surepure can process over 5,000 bottles worth of wine per hour. The wine is pumped in, is exposed to specialized UV rays, and is pumped back out.

Surepure is currently being tested by wineries in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, California, and Chile. It is also being used as an alternative to traditional pasteurization in the dairy and juice industries