Please accept my apologies for the infrequent posts of late.  This pre-Passover wine season has me running around to tastings and writing all kinds of articles.  I have also been plugging away at my Israel wine project.  BUT, I have not forgotten you, my loyal readers.  I hope you find the following information both informative and useful…

I have over the past few years encountered many people who have informed me that they can not drink red wine as they are allergic or it gives them headaches.  Generally, the people speak of the “sulfites” that wine has added (to prevent spoilage) as the cause of their reaction/headache.  I had learned while taking a class at the CIA in Napa that this reaction to wine as a result of SULFITES was a myth.  Instead, I was informed that it can be any of the hundreds of compounds found in wine (the same compounds that give wine their various aroma’s) that the person is reacting to.

Many of the people were not convinced, and insisted that they knew what they were allergic to.  Well, I am writing about this topic today as Jennifer Fiedler of Wine Spectator wrote a brief piece (found here) in the Health Q & A section.

Fiedler quotes Fred Freitag, associate director of the Diamond Headache Clinic, who verifies that it is likely neither sulfites nor histamines, two frequently quoted culprits, that are the likely cause of headaches.  Freitag says that the likely causes are either; alcohol, tyramine, or as I had previously learned, and of the chemical compounds found in wine.

For more info read the full article…

Happy & HEALTHY wine drinking!

WTG