The active ingredient in campden tablets is usually potassium
metabisulfite (occasionally sodium metabisulfite).

Oxidation is caused by allowing oxygen acces to your wine, usually in
unrestricted quantities. This can happen in several ways, here's the
list that I can think of quickly::

1) allowing air lock to run dry
2) stirring too much and whipping air into the wine
3) not using metabisulfites which means that all air access will
oxidize wine a bit
4) excessive headspace in carboy

Steve

On Sat, 17 Sep 2005 06:22:59 +0100, Alan Gould
> wrote:

>In article >, Ray Calvert
> writes
>>
>>Also, sulfites serve more than one purpose. One is to inhibit wild yeast
>>and mold. This is not the most important purpose. Far more important is
>>inhibiting oxidation which is wines' worst enemy.
>>
>Thanks for that observation Ray. Two points. Can I assume that by
>sulfites you mainly mean Campden tablets, and what factors in winemaking
>are likely to lead to oxidation? TIA.