A number of years ago, I wrote several articles on RWH – Red Wine Headaches and Hystamines and Wine: Why the Problem? Today, we’re going to revisit the topic, using valuable information from The Wine Cellar Insider’s great article Red Wine Headaches, The Cause, Solution, Prevention and Cure for RWH.
Histamines
The Wine Cellar Insider points to histamines as being one of the two culprits of RWH. They say that histamines dilate your blood vessels and bring on the flushing and inflammatory sensations.”
Oregon Wine Press goes on to say that “Histamines (those chemical substances floating around in the natural world that make us sneeze) are natural and unavoidable. They are present in grapes and a bi-product of fermentation. When combined with alcohol, histamines can sometimes cause cranial swelling and headaches to those sensitive to them.”
To address this issue, people take eith an anti-histamine or a cup of black tea before drinking red wine. Both reduce the occurrence and severity of histamine-induced headaches.
Tyramine
Tyramine is an amine that is produced naturally from the breakdown of protein as food ages. It is formed by the decarboxylation (a chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide) of the amino acid tyrosine.
Tyramine initially constricts and then dilates your blood vessels, causing your blood pressure to rise slightly, just enough to induce a headache. Sommelier Scribbler contends that “The contraction and dilation of blood vessels result in the squeezing and relaxation component of headaches.”
Younger wines and wines that have not been extensively racked or filtered will have higher rates of tyramine.
Of histamines and tyramine, histamines appear to bear more of the responsibility for RWH.
Because some wines are problematic while others aren’t, the experts recommend trying a half glass of a red wine to see if a headache appears. If it doesn’t, you can feel comfortable drinking an entire glass of the wine. If it does, add that wine to your list of bad wines.
