One of my readers recently asked me about red wine headaches:

“My friend has migraines.  She was told to only drink red wine with no sulfates.  She has been buying organic wine that says “no sulfates” on the label.  Personally, I thought all grapes produced sulfates when they ferment.  Are there any red wines that are readily available that she can order at a restaurant that do not have sulfates?”

Great question!  It’s actually sulfites that many think are responsible for red wine headaches.  Sulfites occur naturally in red wines, although in very small quantities.  This natural occurrence of sulfites is actually beneficial, as it helps preserve the wine.  Foods like dried fruits and processed lunch meats have very high quantities of sulfites, far greater than red wine.  Only 1% of the population is sensitive enough to sulfites to have a reaction to red wines.  So it is very unlikely that getting “sulfite free” wine will help with the headaches.

The second myth is that histamines are to blame.  This is also very unlikely, but in the event that this is the cause of the headaches, try taking an anti-histamine about an hour before consuming red wine.  Some even say that tannin is to blame, but there’s no evidence to support this theory.  Tannin is usually beneficial in red wines, as long as it’s balanced.  Tannin also acts as a preservative, and softens with a wine’s age.

Research is showing that there are likely two factors contributing to red wine headaches.  The first is the release of prostaglandins. These are lipid compounds that are responsible for pain and swelling in the body.  Some people are unable to metabolize these compounds, so they get headaches.  Many people report that taking Advil or Ibuprofen about one hour before drinking red wine helps significantly.  The second likely factor is a sensitivity to yeast or bacteria in the wine.

And remember– just because a wine is organic doesn’t mean it is sulfite free.  Since sulfites are naturally occurring, you will find them in both organic and non-organic wines.