Why does some wine give me a belter of a brain the next day? Or maybe it happens immediately after just one wine. When you feel your pink mush is being violently thrown around in your skull like a fat piñata at a birthday party… And why are all my friends’ cheeks flushing like we’re going through indiscriminate menopause? That ‘red wine hangover’ always seems a little darker and moodier than all the other hangovers. And what about those stay-in-a-dark-room-for-12-hours hangovers, where do they come from? There are answers to these questions!
Sulfites / Sulphites
This is what I thought was the problem for years… You buy a cheap wine and the hangover seems worse, for some reason I always thought crap wine has more sulphites. This is not always the case. You can’t actually get sulphite free wine as sulphites occur naturally in all wines to some degree, they are also added to wines for antibiotic and preservation purposes. Only a very small percentage of the world’s population is allergic to them, such as asthmatics who have sensitivity or allergy to sulphites. You will actually find higher amounts of sulphites in packaged meats, canned soup and jam so hurrah; eat your prosciutto and jam and drink your wine as these are not responsible for your brain belter!
Is it the AMOUNT I consume or WHAT I consume?
Whilst you’re delicately removing the cork from a bottle of 1996 Penfolds Grange and contemplating the delicious flavours you are about to share with your most worthy dinner guests, are you drinking 1, 2 or 3 bottles? Every sip is TREASURE and costs a small wad of $50s so you may only be drinking one bottle. Or are you busting out a 20 buck Redman Coonawarra that goes down an easy treat? It might have even been 2 for 1 at the bottle shop #WINNING. The more expensive the wine, the less likely you are going to drink a’hella of a lot. Unless you’re a baller. In which case, you can probably afford a vitamin IV drip the next day so hangovers are a thing of the past. Drink cheap = drink more = endure physical hangover. Drink pricey = remain more sober = endure financial hangover and hopefully a reduced physical hangover. Give them both a crack.
Tannins
Tannins are the delicious and cheeky character-building delights that occur when grape skins, seeds and stems are involved in the winemaking process. They are the drying effect on your tongue and gums after a sip. They help the wine to age, create structure, deliver flavour and are a well-known source of antioxidants. Thus the reason all those mags you read are like ‘you can drink red wine, it’s sahhh healthy’. Red wine is red because of the skin contact, therefore all red wine has tannins. But tannins may not agree with you. Tannin allergies are rare BUT if dark chocolate and black tea (other high tannin foods) also give you a headache they may be your enemy so stick to white wine.
Alcohol Level
You may have 3 glasses of wine over dinner. But 3 glasses of a 14% alcohol Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon over an 8% German Kabinett Riesling will make a huge difference in your blood alcohol level and how tipsy you feel. White wine often contains less alcohol than red. By drinking a big beautiful 14% alcohol vino will mean you have consumed close to double the amount of alcohol in the same space of time than an 8% drop has. You will also be further dehydrated.
Sugar
Cheaper wine contains higher amounts of sugar. The more sugar you consume, the more water your body consumes. Sugar sucks the water from other parts of your body and your brain.. resulting in a smacker headache. To avoid this, stay away from scary/fruity/vintage-looking box wine, sweet and semi-dry wine, and spend a bit more on your dinner party vino as your wine is likely to have less sugar. Mass-produced wine often has more sugar to beef up the flavour and alcohol. And of course, DRINK MORE WATER.
Histamines
Here we may have our culprit! Histamines are a naturally occurring by-product of the wine and fermentation process. Some people aren’t able to metabolize histamines and it is common to have an allergic reaction like facial flushing or a headache. Histamines are the most likely reason behind that immediate piñata brain situation you get from red wine. They occur at a much higher level in red wine than in white wine and champagne, in some cases measuring up to 200% higher than in white wine. So hop on down to your chemist and pop a few antihistamines (non-drowsy ones unless you want to fall asleep in your soup) before your dinner party…could be a game-changer.
There have been studies done that confirm taking vitamin B6 before and after you drink will help your hangover, so give that a try. You may also want to mix up your reds. Lighter reds like Gamay or Pinot Noir have fewer tannins, Sangiovese and Tempranillo are moderately tannic and Cabernet Sauvignon and Nebbiolo are high. Try an anti-histamine before you head out. Or perhaps try white for a night. Pay attention to the level of alcohol in your wine, it will be written on the bottle. Less is better if it’s a school night! Maybe spend a little more on your drop, if the wine has less sugar you might feel better the next day. One thing for sure, one water, one wine is always a good place to start and perhaps slow down after you have polished off your first bottle solo.
About the Author: Meet Kate Peck. Starting from humble beginnings at MTV, she is now a reporter for RPM, Network Ten’s Motorsport program and contributes her musings about wine to Man Of Many. A maniac for the grape, Kate has completed her WSET3 qualification and brings her vibrant passion and her infectious energy to the exciting world of wine.
General FAQ
Cheap wines contain higher amounts of sugar. Sugar takes the water from other parts of your body and brain, resulting in a headache.
Sulphites in wine are not usually the cause of headaches. While some people have an allergy to sulphites, headaches are not a common allergic reaction.
If prosecco and champagne give you a headache, but you don't want to give up the pleasure of bubbles then read the effective remedies in this article about two of the most appreciated wines in the world.
You have to buy prosecco or champagne but you don't know which one to choose to avoid the headache? To enjoy the festivities, you just need to take some precautions and above all know the causes of the headache triggered by "bubbles.
Let's clear the field of clichés.
Why does the headache come after drinking prosecco or champagne?
There are those who say they are intolerant, those who blame the sulfites, those who give up a flute of prosecco or champagne not to "mix" with the red wine served at dinner ... In fact, these are not the causes of headaches that presses, after drinking these fine white wines.
The migraine that can occur after taking prosecco or champagne is due to the presence of biogenic amines. These are substances released naturally during vinification. During this process, the lactic bacteria contained in the must or wine give rise to these nitrogen compounds, derived from specific amino acids.
Biogenic amines can have undesirable effects on some people and destabilise the general wellbeing of the body (without serious consequences, however): headaches, nausea or abdominal cramps disappear within a few hours or the next day at the latest.
What is often ignored is that these same biogenic amines are also present in many foods and sometimes in concentrations higher than those of prosecco or champagne! Fish, certain types of vegetables, fruit juices, meat and cheese ... Our body is naturally predisposed to the detoxification process, so it does not suffer negative effects from the intake of these substances. On the contrary, amines are an active presence within our body and are indispensable to perform important physiological functions (they regulate body temperature, stomach pH and brain activity, for example).
So what happens when drinking prosecco or champagne? Why doesn't the body eliminate the amines and the infamous headache breaks out?
There are two main problems:
- The amounts ingested are high and the massive presence of ethanol does not allow the amines to be eliminated.
- The detoxifying action by the body is not activated due to, for example, the concomitant intake of drugs.
To this should be added that, in the case of particularly sensitive people, if the prosecco or champagne is tasted during a dinner based on foods rich in amines (fish and cheese first and foremost), the mix becomes explosive and general discomfort and discomfort arises.
What are the most common biogenic amines?
- Histamine: it is inflammatory and the main cause of headaches. It can also cause nausea and vomiting, rashes and respiratory problems. It is found in yeast extracts, canned fish, cheese, tomatoes and spinach, tofu and ketchup.
- Tyramine: in addition to triggering migraine, it causes hypersalivation and hypertension. It triggers the particular process of vasodilation/vasoconstriction that makes intracranial pressure unstable and gives a sense of drunkenness. It is found in bananas, avocados, plums, oranges, raspberries, tomatoes, sausages, fish and cheese.
- Phenylethylamine: causes migraine and increases blood pressure. It is present in fermented foods and chocolate.
Prosecco or champagne headaches: remedies
If you do not want to give up a glass of bubbles, the important thing is to take a few small steps to limit the possible occurrence of unwanted effects.
- Avoid combining it with the wrong food: if you are particularly sensitive then it is better to avoid eating fish (especially mackerel), red meat, chocolate or fruit, if you have decided to celebrate a special evening with "bubbles".
- Sip some water at the same time: don't forget to keep a glass of water handy, to be sipped before the prosecco or champagne. It maintains a good level of hydration, which limits the onset of headaches. This is for the simple reason that liver detoxification occurs through the skin (sweat) and urine: water, from this point of view, helps in expelling toxic substances.
- Do not ingest more sugar at that time: the combination of sugar with prosecco or champagne amplifies the migraine. No matter how much it costs, you will have to give up...If you prefer a good flute to sip, it would be better then to avoid sweets and cake during the party.
To conclude, we have cleared the field from clichés and included the mechanism at the base of the headache, after sipping a glass of prosecco or champagne.
Only in proven cases of allergies should alcohol consumption be strictly avoided.
It is important to know, however, that allergy to ethanol is very rare and therefore still little studied. If, on the other hand, intolerance is triggered by yeast (more precisely, by the substances released during leavening), then these white wines should be avoided. At the same time, however, you must be careful to eliminate bread, pizza, biscuits and cheese from your diet and not blame only the wine!
If you are a lover of bubbles, then it is not the case to deprive yourself of this pleasure for life.
Check out our selection of prosecco to celebrate your special event!