“Ohmigod, that’s a headache wine” said a friend the other day after sipping a Spanish white wine. Then Ladybird World Mother said that she too got wretched headaches when drinking wine and doesn’t even throw it back like the old days (her words, not mine). What might cause these headaches, other than having three too many? The usual suspect is sulphur, which has long been used to preserve freshness in wine. Some, particularly asthmatics, seem to be less tolerant than others but generally speaking headaches caused by sulphur are rare. Another cause may be the natural histemines found in wine, particularly red wines as they come from the skins of grapes. There are those who swear by taking an anti-histemine before drinking a glass of red. Too clinical for me, plus I would fall asleep. Nah. In my experience your best bet for avoiding a headache is to imbibe plenty of water and food at the same time. That and not finishing the bottle.
Current white in the fridge:
Tesco Finest Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2009, £6.19, Tesco
New Zealand produces some of the best Sauvignon Blanc wines in the world, particularly from this region. In fact, it was Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough that really put NZ on the worldwide wine map. This is made at an estate called Highfield, where they’ve built a winery to look like a Tuscan cellar. Not sure why, but it looks wonderful if not a little out of place. Here, the cool nights and warm days allow the grapes to ripen slowly and surely, helping to get the best out of this aromatic grape. This one gives you a noseful of zippy lime fruit aromas then lives up to expectations with lovely gooseberry and passion fruit flavours. Dangerously moreish.
Current red on the side:
Esperanza Malbec 2009, Argentina, £4.69, Majestic
Torrontes was the white grape from Argentina that I wrote about last week. The red grape that Argentina does better than most is Malbec, a brutish red grape that produces dark, inky coloured wines with lots of black fruit flavours. Cahors in France is Malbec’s other home, as well as it being one of the traditional grapes grown in Bordeaux. This particular one is more lightweight, in a good way. Still brooding, but not growling (really hoping you are still with me here) with bramble fruits and soft tannins. Long on the finish, as they say. Tried and heartily recommended with steaks.
One last glass, then x
I like to blame other outside causes for the headache, like the weather, the mood and the company. I have been known to knock back a whole bottle with no ill effect, try it again with the same wine two weeks later and I wake up an ogre.Will keep experimenting 🙂
Cate – yes, experimentation is the answer! Actually, mused on this well after posting and suddenly realised I had missed most obvious other cause: sheer bloody knackeredness. Think I made up a new word there x
I tend to look at the alcohol content now when choosing wine – those really strong 14 per cent reds can give me a terrible headache. But yes, knackeredness definitely a factor – my husband used to stay up all night as a junior doctor and said that it felt just like having a hangover.
You utter darling… I am an asthmatic!! (sounds like a 12 step recovery group) How amazing if you have hit on the cause after all these years… I must say, it's much better if I eat before having a glass… seems not to affect so much, if at all. Bless your heart for such a direct answer. Hugely hugely grateful and your friend for life. xxxxx
LWM – how brilliant! What you can do is go for lower sulphur wines. Reds tend to have less than white. Organic wines often have slightly lower sulphur levels (but not always) as do so-called 'natural' wines. Oddbins stocks a range of natural wines. They are not cheap and they should be drunk young (sulphur preserves freshness) but it might help with the headaches. Go forth! x
I get a headache with one glass of Chardonny yet sometimes a bottle of Pinot Grigio doesn't even touch the sides. Over here, my wine friends tell me that the California Chardonnays have a very high sulphate( as they say) content. Must be something in that.I am also prone to "cold like symptoms" now if I drink too much red, which is definitely the anti-hystamines at work. Not sure I'd want to take a pill before hand though as they make me fall asleep.
EM – a couple of glasses can make me very sleepy nowadays, no need for pills…back to my general state of knackeredness, I think x
Ha! I always knew there must be a scientific explanation for the wine headache, other than erm, just drinking too much of it. Actually, I find since having the children that I can't drink anything from Argentina, or any of the mahoosive South African Cab Savs I used to love (verklerken? can't spell – we always used to call it fergy lurgy). And champagne makes me feel as if I've been bashed over the head with a spade (actually, not all of them – Moet is the evil one, and I used to do so much business with them, I'd have to drink it out of politeness and put up and shut up. Hard life, but someone etc). I'm fine with anything Gamay, and anything northern italian. *ramble ramble ramble*… loved the meme, by the way xx
Mrs T – hello angel, yes you too can now say 'now for the science bit' when explaining your wine headache. Gamay is good, less tannin ergo less histemines. Now I'm rambling. Glad you liked the meme, thank you for the tag x
Interesting post but am curious(surprised) at some conclusions. I worked in the wine trade for several years – did some exams and all. "Red heads" i.e those who couldn't tolerate red wines were well known. Various explanations including, for asthmatics and other allergies, the egg whites used in refining the better quality red wines despite experts saying that no residue remained. But as we know it is more complicated than that. Same with white wines. I'm also amazed at people praising the Gamay grape – the basis of the 'boiled' wines of Beaujolais which sadly caused me a terrible reaction ( vomiting). People with allergies, including my daughter, can be affected by the most micro-miniscule presence of the allergen. Modern wine-making is so much cleaner and refined than in even the recent past. But these new methods include using grapes that were formerly considered as poor or at best 'backbone' grapes in a masterful blend,as varietals in a single vinification. I think this came about because of the availability and use of sophisticated refining methods especially in the New World where wine making regulations are evolving differently from (or ahead of) the old-established European traditions. And of course the demand for bland mass-produced easy drinking wines has blurred the palate. Well, it's blurred mine and now I'm increasingly unable to appreciate a 'good' wine while at the same time finding it difficult to buy one at a reasonable price (if that makes sense). So very much relying on your recommendations Mrs KMWC!