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Had to fix the wine fridge cooler…
[Weekend Wines] what’re you drinking?
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Try less volume.
Unfortunately most of the research I’ve heard of echoes this advice
You probably need a more natural wine without the preservatives (sulfites). They’re not easy to find since they have a shorter shelf life but not impossible.
“Sulfites” is definitely a type of preservative and a pretty important tool in winemaking - it takes two chemical forms in wine (bisulfite and molecular SO2) and these have antioxidant and antimicrobial activity. Most sulfite is added throughout winemaking or at least at bottling, but even natural wines have low levels of sulfites because it’s a fermentation by-product. You have to label wine as contains sulfites above 10 ppm. It is extremely unlikely that sulfite levels in wine would give you headaches.
I think it may depend more on how you react to wine in general vs. the wine itself (or the amount) lol! Some people get headaches no matter what kind.
I like Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio. Not a fan of the super sweet wines like Moscato. I drink Chardonnay most of the time but that’s not one a lot of people start on.
I’ve heard some people get worse headaches from boxed wine so that’s another thing to consider.
thank you :) im just a newbie wine drinker and what i usually prefer drinking is moscato. since its sweet. but ive tried sauv blanc and i like it too. i will try pinot grigio next time. thank you for this
Natural wines never give you a headache. And they taste so much better than wines you can find at a big box or liquor store. I’ve drank close to a whole bottle myself and been fine (Can still think critically). You’ll find them at wine bars or online.
Headaches can also stem from being sensitive to sulphites. Pretty much all wines have sulphites, but some varietals and production methods result in fewer sulphites.
Since sometimes headaches are due to the amount of alcohol, you can give Prosecco a try. It’s around 10% alcohol and delicious. Some people get migraines because of other reasons though, so ymmv.
My husband gets headaches much easier from red wines than white wines. I find that having dry whites wines doesn’t affect me too much the next day as opposed to sweeter ones. Sauv blanc, pinto gris are two of my favorite.
Most likely your headaches are from getting dehydrated. They might be an allergic reaction to a compound common in wine, but that’s very less likely.
Drink at least a glass of water for each glass of wine and you’ll most likely avoid the headaches.
Most likely culprits are probably dehydration and not keeping track of how much alcohol you’ve consumed (7oz vs 5 oz pours add up quick for high ABV wines). Some wineries will also understate the ABV a bit (not super common but worth noting). Another thing is that fermentation can produce biogenic amines, which are associated with headaches. However levels are negligible in most wine (and compared to other common foodstuffs), so probably not the culprit unless you have an acute sensitivity. And there’s no labeling for biogenic amines so tough to avoid.
It really all depends on how your body reacts. For me, any white wine that is really Oaky will give me a headache no matter how little I drink of it. I steer away from a Chardonnay for this reason, unless it’s an “unoaked” Chardonnay. Reds with lots of tannins do the same, but those are a bit harder to identify. I’d suggest you try whites like Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, or Viognier. If you want a red, I think a Pinot Noir is a good starting point.
Natural wines. Then, flip the label over and don’t purchase anything over 12.5% alcohol.