How To Prevent A Red Wine Headache
Red Wine Headache Reality
All of you red wine drinkers out there, ever wake up with that terrible red wine headache, stuffy nose, and sinus feeling hangover after a beautiful night of drinking wine?
If you said yes to any of these, you aren’t alone :)
I mean let’s be honest, if you drank a bottle of wine this article is not going to solve your hangover, but we think it may shed some light on why you have that “red wine” headache the day after.
Usually, we all blame “Sulfites.” But is it Sulfites?
If you are feeling like red wine just isn’t your friend anymore, read on. We have your back.
In this article, I ask Daniel all of the questions I have heard over and over again about that pesky red wine headache.
Do Sulfites Cause The Red Wine Headache?
Lindsey: Okay, so I'll tell you this, every friend I talk to, especially now that we are in our late 30s are all saying that they wake up and feel a really bad sinus headache from red wine. After that, they always say it's because of the Sulfites. So is that true?
Daniel: Probably not.
Lindsey: Lol, can we get a little deeper than that? What do you think it is if it’s not sulfites?
Daniel: So red wine is messing you up, not the white wine?
Lindsey: Yes, I don't feel the same way when I have white wine. I never feel that sinus headache. I mean obviously, if I have too much I feel terrible but I don't feel stuffed up and that front of the head sinus headache.
Daniel: Do you have a headache when you have deli meat, turkey or when you have orange juice?
Lindsey: No.
Daniel: Sulfur is a preservative. When you go to Whole Foods and you are buying organic kale, or celery its been sprayed with a sulfur solution.
That's the spray that rinses down produce and keeps it fresh in the store. That is why if you take something home from your garden, it wilts instantly but if you buy it from the store it's good for at least a couple days in your fridge.
Honestly, Sulfur gets a bad name from wine drinkers. Sulfur is super important for wine. If you can't stabilize it with sulfur, it grows bacteria, and if it grows the bacteria, it would change instantly.
Many people don’t know this, but white wine has sulfur as well.
Why Do You Get A Red Wine Headache?
Lindsey: Got it, so why is it that red wine gives you that headache?
Daniel: For a likely answer, it's histamines. Histamines are on the grape skins. Red wine has more skin contact time. While the wine is absorbing color flavor from the grape skins, it’s also absorbing histamines.
Many people will say they get headaches, but not from their European wines, or not when they're having lunch at their Parisian bistro. This is because light French wines don't spend as much time with the skins on.
Lindsey: So the real reason is that red wines have more histamines in them because they have more skin contact time?
Daniel: Yes, Histamines are like living fairies that cause allergies. They live on everything.
Lindsey: So if you are trying to avoid the white wine or red wine headache, then probably drink more foreign wines you have a better chance?
Daniel: Maybe drink more light French wines. Most European wines have less skin contact time.
Lindsey: Or maybe don't drink four glasses :)
Let’s Recap…
Red wine has longer skin contact time which causes histamines to transfer from the grape skin to the wine and as a result, you may get that “red wine” headache. It probably feels like a Sinus headache.
How do you avoid it?
Don’t drink a bottle (no judgment if you do, we all have those days).
Start exploring European wines for those red wine nights. Light French wines are a really good safe bet.
Look at the alcohol content. Red wines that have a higher alcohol content could cause that headache as well.
Test, test, and retest. Yep, we are recommending drinking more wine. But seriously, test it out, drink plenty of water and see how you feel the next day.
Happy Drinking!
Lindsey & Daniel