We get great pleasure from drinking wine, but why do so many of us often suffer from headaches afterwards? There are several reasons why, and it’s not necessarily just because of over consumption! There is a belief that the over-use of sulphites in the wine is the main cause, and as a winemaker, I agree. There are other causes as well.
Why add sulphites in the first place?
Winemakers have been adding sulphites to wines for a very long time. Sulphur protects the wine from oxidation, and also helps to prevent organisms from growing in the wine. It acts as a sterilant which enables the wine to last longer, this in turn allows it to develop and age helping to produce those complex flavours we love. If sulphites were not added, the wine could turn into vinegar in a very short time.
What’s the problem with sulphites?
Allergies to sulphites are a problem for some wine drinkers, and a few people also suffer serious headaches or even migraines from sulphite traces. White wines usually have more sulphites than red wines.
How can we remedy the sulphite issue?
Very simply. By using clean grapes and good winemaking practices, the need for sulphites will be reduced as there will be less bacteria to combat. The wines should be closely monitored during and after fermentation for off-flavours – the cleaner the wine is, the lower the amount of sulphur required. So, the winemaker is responsible for the hygiene of his wine and the addition of sulphur to that wine. Poorer wines tend to contain higher levels in order to stabilise them.
Which styles of wine usually contain more sulphur?
Sweeter wines often contain more sulphur because the higher sugar level needs to be controlled. If there is insufficient sulphur in the wine, a secondary fermentation could occur which would result in the sugar being turned in to carbon dioxide and alcohol, ruining the character of the wine. In theory, dry wines should have less sulphur in them than sweeter wines.
Can a wine be made without adding sulphites?
Yes it can, but it will have a very short shelf life, i.e. it will have to be drunk very quickly. Drinking a wine so soon after it is made is not ideal as the art of winemaking is to create a wine with character that will develop with age, gaining those complex characters we all look for. The wine will have to be, in effect, sterile!
Red wines are often attributed to causing severe headaches and migraines. This is caused by the higher tannin content as well as the higher alcohol level in the wine. The higher your blood alcohol level, the worse your headache or migraine will be.
How can you reduce or avoid getting headaches after drinking wine?
Do not take aspirin as this will combine with the wine to cause serious damage to the lining of your stomach.
There are a few measures you can take to avoid headaches:
The headache is largely due to dehydration, so drinking plenty of water is important. Matching each glass of wine with a glass of water is sensible but easier said than done!
Drink the wine with food, not on its own. This will slow down the rate at which the alcohol reaches your brain. Food will reduce the alcohol that is presented to your liver and make it easier to break it down.
Drink in moderation, and this certainly applies to wine.
Adhere to the recommended daily allowance (3-4 glasses for men, 1-2 for women), and you are unlikely to get a headache.
Wine is one of the great pleasures of life. Drink sensibly and suffer not! Drink copious quantities of water, and choose the best bottle of wine you can afford – quality is better than quantity!
By: Rob Hemphill
A degree in Oenology, the science of winemaking, is not required in order to understand the art of wine tasting. One need not be confused by the terminology used by professional wine tasters such as: clarity, bouquet, earthly, open, crisp or nostalgic. All that is required is to tune your senses and to become familiar with various definitions on well-known words.
Serving Wine
When first starting out, it is a good ideal to allow someone who is more knowledgeable to decide on how to serve the wine. To acquire the skills of wine serving you will need to gain a little more experience and education to start. White wines in general need to be served chilled, while red wines are usually served at room temperature. Serving wine chilled does not mean frozen; but usually starts at 50F and can be adjusted to taste. Room temperature usually refers to a slightly cooler room, approximately 60F.
Red wine (with the exception of a few brands) should be allowed to breathe first before serving. They should sit in an uncorked bottle and exposed to air for approximately 15 minutes or more. In general white wine should be served right away but there are also various brands of white wine that don’t adhere to this rule. There are also wines that require decanting. This is the process of filtering out the sediments before serving. Wines that have aged considerably and ports may require decanting before serving them.
An ordinary wine glass should be used when pouring wine as opposed to a heavy cut glass where visibility can be poor. You want to make sure to fill it approximately half full. Next you want to swirl the wine a bit to generate an additional winey vapour.
The Scent Of A Wine
Examine the color traits of the wine. Is it Hazy? Opaque? Clear? Take a short sniff and waft the wine vapors into the nose rather then directly holding your nose over the opening of the glass. To help you truly experience the wine you may want to close your eyes to allow you to focus on one or two senses at a time such as taste and smell over the sense of sight. There are even experts who misidentify wines during blind taste testing.
Next you want to try to identify the odor. Does the wine have a fruity smell similar to apples, oranges or grapes? Wines such as Merlots or Cabernet Sauvignon evoke the woody smell of pine or cedar needles. Syrah wines have been known to diffuse a floral or ground black pepper scent; while Chardonnay’s that are aged in oak, can remind one of figs or apples. One can argue that the scent of a wine is purely subjective, but there is often a wide agreement amongst amateurs and experts alike, although impressions differ on some degree.
Wine Tasting
The tongue has many different areas that are attuned to various types of tastes. Some areas of the tongue are more attuned to salty or sour tastes, while others attuned to sweet tastes. You want to take a sip of the wine and make sure you run it around the tongue to stimulate the many different kinds of taste buds. Some of the characteristics when tasting various brands of wines may include:
Pinot Noir – from Burgundy may arise a violet taste. Zinfandel – this wine may remind you of berries. Gewurztraminer – evokes peaches. Chenin Blanc – orange blossom taste.
When moving on to tasting another wine you want to make sure to finish or set aside the wine you have just tested, and to come back on another day. Don’t try to many or too much wine at one time. Ideally one brand of wine is preferred per day, but this can be a slow way to learn. You definitely do not want to try any more than three wines in one day. This may hinder your ability to discern differences in different types of wine.
On the next day you may want to try different red wines. Try to concentrate on sensing that oak storage cask. You will find some California reds to have hints and traces of coffee of chocolate. If you favour stronger scents you may want to try a fine Merlot. They carry a tarry quality.
Remember a good fine wine will not hit the nose over the head, so to speak. Above all the key is subtlety when tasting wine.
By: Joseph Wilson
The recent health claims that wines have antioxidants in them that may block free radicals, prevent heart disease, cancer, and other conditions associated with aging seems to have some validity. Polyphenol, catechin, and cholesterol-reducing resveratrol are found predominately in red wines in various degrees. One suggestion as to why some of these antioxidants are present in red wines is that grapes that have been distressed during their growth will exhibit the highest level of antioxidants. Red-skinned grapes seem to have better growing success in less temperate climates but exhibit the effects of stressful weather conditions in the form of higher levels of resveratrol. Before all you wine enthusiasts start shouting, “I told you so!” let me point out that many of the same antioxidant benefits can also be found in dark beers, too.
What low-carbohydrate dieters are most concerned about with wine, however, is its carbohydrate count, loosely a function of the wine’s residual sugar content. Although residual sugar levels are often made available by vintners and are a good indication as to the possible dryness or sweetness of a wine (the higher the number, the sweeter the wine), we can’t, unfortunately, extrapolate the carbohydrate count of the wine from this figure without a full lab analysis.
Some wine-related Web sites say that there are no carbohydrates in dry wine, a glaring example of people who have no idea of the mechanics of fermentation. The process of converting sugars to alcohol and carbon dioxide during fermentation is limited by the attenuation of the yeast or the manipulation of the fermentation by the vintner. In order for a wine to have no carbohydrates in it, it would have to be pure alcohol, in other words, distilled. Of course at that point, the liquid would no longer be wine, but brandy or cognac. All—and I repeat—all wines, including dry wines, have some residual sugar left behind after the fermentation process ends. Residual sugar equals carbohydrates. If it were possible to use fermentation to convert a sugary liquid into a drink that was free of carbohydrates, the process of distillation would be a meaningless procedure. Only after distillation, when the resultant liquid is transformed into ethyl alcohol (ethanol), will a once-fermented liquid truly become carbohydrate-free.
You might notice while shopping for wine that some fruit-blended wines actually carry a nutritional analysis statement on them. For any wine with an alcohol content of less than 7% by volume, the Food and Drug Administration actually has jurisdiction over the nutritional labeling of the product. However, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) has jurisdiction over the mandated government warnings that are also found on the labels of these wines and of all alcohol-based products. This is one of the few times that the FDA gets involved in the realm of spirited beverages with the TTB. You’ll also find nutritional information on ciders under 7%.
What kind of a margin of error does the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau allow in the measurement of carbohydrates in wine? From the TTB ruling: Statements of carbohydrates and fat contents [on wine labels or advertising materials] are acceptable provided the actual carbohydrate or fat contents, as determined by ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the former alcohol trade regulatory agency) lab analysis, are within a reasonable range below, but in no case more than 20% above, the labeled amount.
If you’re on a low-carbohydrate diet and enjoy the occasional pressings from “the noble grape,” the following list of wines with their carbohydrate counts should help you keep your daily carb intake in check:
Barton & Guestier
Cabernet Sauvignon (’02) 5 oz 1.70 g Chardonnay (’02) 5 oz 1.10 g French Tom Cabernet Sauvignon (’02) 5 oz 1.30 g French Tom Chardonnay (’02) 5 oz 1.10 g French Tom Merlot (’01) 5 oz 1.40 g
Ecco Domani
Cabernet Sauvignon (‘01) 5 oz 4.00 g Chianti (‘01) 5 oz 3.60 g Merlot (‘01) 5 oz 4.05 g Pinot Bianco (‘96) 5 oz 3.50 g Pinot Grigio (‘02) 5 oz 3.15 g
For more information on the carbohydrate count of more than 1000 worldwide brands of beer, 400 wines, 60 liqueurs, and distilled products, go to www.lcbartender.com [out].
© Bob Skilnik, 2004
Bob Skilnik is a Chicagoland freelance writer who has written for the Chicago Tribune, the Collector Magazine, the American Breweriana Association’s Journal and the National Association Breweriana Advertising’s Breweriana Collector on the subjects of beer, brewery history and breweriana. He is a 1991 graduate of the Chicago-based Siebel Institute of Technology, the oldest brewing school in the United States, with a degree in Brewing Technology.
His interests in beer and brewing were cultivated while serving as a German translator in West Germany for the United States Army. Skilnik is the Associate Editor for the ABA Journal and The Tap newspaper, and a member of the Society of Midland Authors and the Culinary Historians of Chicago. He has appeared in the Chicagoland area on Media One’s television program, The Buzz, WTTW’s Chicago Tonight with Bob Sirott and Phil Ponce, Chicago’s Public Radio station, WBEZ , Springfield, IL’s WUIS Radio and the WOR Morning Show with Ed Walsh in New York. Skilnik’s national television appearances have been on the Cold Pizza morning show on ESPN2 and Fox News Live.
By: Bob Skilnik