03/29/05 Headaches and wine

Welcome to Vine to Wine, I'm your host Linda Moran. Yesterday we answered a question commonly asked about sulfites in wine. Today we are answering the second most commonly asked question about headaches and wine - "Why does my friend say that red wine gives her a headache but white wine does not?" Headaches and their relationship to wine is a shaky topic to begin with. But let us operate under the assumption that the headache in question, is not resulting from over consumption of wine. Hydration is a consideration in keeping headaches a bay. A good practice is to drink two glasses of water for each glass of wine that you consume. Many people immediately fault sulfites; most likely they are not the culprits in the case of a person who claims to get headaches from red wine, and not from white. The simple explanation being that there are usually more sulfites in white wine than in red. Some studies implicate histamines that are found in the skins seeds and stems of grapes. They may be more prevalent in red wines as they are kept in contact with the skins in order to gain color and other desirable characteristics. People who are sensitive to histamines may experience the expansion or contraction of blood vessels, which causes pressure in the head, and a headache. What difference does it make? If red wine gives her a headache and she knows it, then just stick with white wine. Remember to send your wine questions to Linda at vine to wine dot net, and thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.