Actually mvbh, the pattern, although maybe true for you is not quite
that simple.
Not all wines in the US cause a headache and not all wines in France
or Italy don't. It's not the location but the combination of the
wine’s ingredients and the sensitivity of the drinker. The most common
reaction is known as Red Wine Headache (RWH).
The article cited by nronronronro-ga below provides a few clues as to
what can cause the headache, but no one knows for sure.
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/20938/352585.html
“For some people, a glass of red wine is an invitation to a roaring
headache…. Dr. Fred Freitag, associate director of the Diamond
Headache Clinic in Chicago, said no one really knows what leads a
patient to develop this type of headache.”
As you can see in that article, everyone reacts differently to wine,
and at least one person’s experience is the opposite of yours:
“Freitag, a sufferer of the headaches, said he has found he can drink
some reds and not others. Almost any California red is fine but only
certain reds from France - nothing in the Burgundy family, though,
which includes all cabernet sauvignon grapes from Italy and Spain. But
some of his patients can only drink French reds.”
The point is that the reaction seems to be individual. A wine that
causes you to get a headache may not cause me to get one.
The three leading chemicals thought to induce headaches are:
HISTAMINES –
Those sensitive to histamines likely also experience symptoms with
chocolate and aged cheeses.
SULPHITES –
Lots of foods contain sulfites and virtually all wines do as well.
..white wines contain more than reds [hence sulphites are not
considered a cause of RWH].
TANNENS –
The “trigger,” according to allergists, seems to be the phenolic
flavonoids related to tannins from the skins of red grapes…
Full-bodied red wines have the most tannins, while light-bodied reds
and rose wines have much less. Whites have almost none.
http://www.vvdailypress.com/food/winelines/080801/
The NY Times article sums things up nicely, but I’ll provide you with
a few more links so you can do some further reading on the subject –
“Although some people do suffer from sulphite allergies and wines do
contain sulphites, the RWH reaction is not considered to be an actual
allergic reaction. Scientists no long believe that sulphite content is
related to RWH.”
http://www.enjoycooking.com/wow.cfm
“So far, in medical literature, there has been no evidences to
indicate a reliable link between sulfites and headaches.”
http://www.winehorizon.com/Winearticle12.htm
New Research in the Prevention of Red Wine Headache
[*note, despite the title, this is an old article – 1991]
http://www.olemiss.edu/orgs/AWARE/v3n2p08.html
Headache in a Bottle
“…there are some explanations for the so-called “wine headache.” But
there are also some myths that need clarification.”
http://www.bcwine.com/headacheinabottle.html
Unfortunately, even though sulphites have been eliminated as a source
of wine headaches, some winery’s still prey on people’s fear of
sulphites and propagate the myth –
http://www.chinabend.com/winelist.html
Finally, there may be difference in how wines are made in different
regions of the world or by different companies, and these differences
could account for different levels of chemicals that cause you to
react to certain US wines more than French or Italian wines. For
example, if you are sensitive to histamines:
“..histamines occur more often in red wines than whites, and in
low-acid reds from hot climates than high-acid reds from cooler
areas…”
http://www.vvdailypress.com/food/winelines/080801/
This website offers examples of differences between wines and how to
identify them.
http://munshi.sonoma.edu/winefordummies.html
For example, maybe oak content is a factor:
“Ceteris paribus, "oak aged" or "barrel aged" is better than no
mention of oak at all and "barrel fermented" (look for this on white
wines) is better than tank fermented. Also "french oak" is better than
other oaks so if it just says "oak" they mean it's some cheap oak
(american, yugoslavian, etc). Oak barrels are one of the most
expensive ingredients of wine so cheap wine is made with as little of
this as possible.”
Also differences in chemical usage such as pesticides may account for
your reaction to certain wines –
“Studies show that wine grapes are bombarded with a medley of poisons.
In fact, 17 different insecticides, herbicides, and fumigants are used
in wine production, many containing possible carcinogens. In
California, where 90 percent of domestic wines are produced, grapes
receive more pesticides than any other crop: 59 million pounds in 1995
alone, according to Californians for Pesticide Reform.”
http://www.metroactive.com/papers/sonoma/09.06.01/dining-wine1-0136.html
So, to sum up – the fact that you react more to US wines than to
French or Italian wines has to do with the specific wine you chose to
drink and your own body’s sensitivity to that wine. To determine
which wines are best for you, use the 15 minute test –
“Here's how to challenge yourself, if you must. Drink a half a glass
of red wine; if it is going to give you a headache, it will do so
within 15 minutes. If there is no reaction, stick with that wine for
the evening, keeping your alcohol consumption to no more than two
glasses. Keep a journal.” (from the NY Times article).
I hope I’ve cleared things up for you. If anything I’ve said isn’t
clear, feel free to ask for clarification.
--K~
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