"The Urban Legend of Sulfites" in wine

[ganzfeld]

"Sulfites" have been mentioned in a recent thread as the likely cause for headaches after drinking. Are sulfites really the culprit? This article says, "It’s time for this urban legend to be debunked."
http://lennthompson.typepad.com/lenn...ban_legen.html

[putitinwriting]

I don't know the science, that's for sure, but I do know that if my mom has any red wine - in a sauce, by itself, in a dressing - she gets a migraine-like headache that lasts for a day or two. It happens whether she knows it's in the sauce or not.

[rhiandmoi]

I think most red wine headaches are caused by tannins. I think many American wineries release their reds too young.

[Sunny Lea]

I thought tannins were supposed to be the issue, not sulfites.

Whatever the reason, if I have more than a glass of red wine, or even just one glass of a really dry red, I get a headache you wouldn't believe.

It's a shame too, because, wouldn't you know, my very favorite wines are very dry reds. Sigh. Trust me, I wouldn't be giving up my reds if I really didn't get horrible headaches.

[Valitudinarius Rex]

Sorry to be a late contributor to this forum.

Originally Posted by Sunny Lea

I thought tannins were supposed to be the issue, not sulfites.

I am STRONGLY reactive to sulphites, but I can drink most wines that are produced without them. The symptoms of sulphite reaction are shortness of breath, hives, itching. I'm a migraine sufferer, too. It's the tannins, for sure, that cause the headaches. The sulphites are another story.

Sulphites are sometimes used as disinfectants in wine-making, to prevent overgrowth of bacteria that produce bad smells, weird tastes and other unpredictable out-comes. If the glass-ware is properly rinsed, sulphites shouldn't be an issue, but I can tell you from my own experience that this is not always the case.

My industrious cousin once made a batch of ice-wine, and used a sulphite-based chemical to stop fermentation for maximum sweetness. One sip of this glorious wine put me in bed for the night, despite immediate administration of antihistamines.

Soda-fountain carbonated beverages also seem to have a residue of sulphite in them, probably from cleaning the tubing, since I also lose my breath after drinking carbonated beverages in the restaurant, but not directly from the can. I carry an epi-pen, if your are wondering....

So: the wine industry may try to convince us that sulphites aren't THE problem, but they should come up with a different chemical for sanitizing the equipment anyway. I guess the "Mr. Clean Eraser-Sponge" is out of the question....

[Horse Chestnut]

I too, get a headache from wine, and was always told that it was the sulfites.

In the article they refer to these headaches as hangovers, but that was never the case with me. I get the headache immediately while drinking the wine, not when I wake up in the morning.

Now all the beer and spirits that I can drink without getting a headache? Those give me a hangover.

[bigblu89]

Originally Posted by Valitudinarius Rex

Sorry to be a late contributor to this forum.

I am STRONGLY reactive to sulphites, but I can drink most wines that are produced without them. The symptoms of sulphite reaction are shortness of breath, hives, itching. I'm a migraine sufferer, too. It's the tannins, for sure, that cause the headaches. The sulphites are another story.

Sulphites are sometimes used as disinfectants in wine-making, to prevent overgrowth of bacteria that produce bad smells, weird tastes and other unpredictable out-comes. If the glass-ware is properly rinsed, sulphites shouldn't be an issue, but I can tell you from my own experience that this is not always the case.

You're probably allergic to Sulfa. My wife is, and she has the same reactions to red wine as you do.

[Sunny Lea]

Okay, Sulfa allergies aren't uncommon, but what I have isn't' an allergy. No hives, breathing issues, etc.

Like Horse Chestnut, I just get headaches. Bad ones that come on either while or *very* shortly after drinking red wine. I know what a hangover is (had more than I wish I'd had) and this isn't one.

Like I said, I was always told tannins were the issue. Is there any actual research on the effects of tannins?

[nolly]

I find it odd that I get a headache after drinking red wine only part of the time (I'd say 85%) I also get them after drinking a glass of white so can tannins be the cause?

Nol"Amarone Amateur" ly