If you have ever enjoyed a soda, dried fruit, anything that comes in a can, preserves, deli meat, chips, condiments, (the list goes on…) without a headache, chances are these headaches when drinking wine are caused by another chemical compound. All of these food and drink items listed above typically have higher levels of sulfites than what is found in wine. There are legal limits in place for how much sulfite can be added to both red and white wines. Keep in mind, we are talking about headaches occurring WHILE drinking the wine, not the hangover that we feel the next day after drinking (that’s a topic for another day.)
In general, there is a higher tendency for people to struggle with headaches when drinking red wine more so than white wine. Many people believe that the sulfites that are found in wine are causing their headaches - this claim actually has no scientific evidence. Rather, there are other compounds found in wine that could be causing your headaches.
Histamines - Some people have histamine sensitivities which can lead to wine headaches. Histamines live in the skin of the grapes, so red wine has a much higher content than what is found in white wine. Our bodies produce histamines when we are having an allergic reaction in order to get rid of the “allergen” - think sneezing, running rose, itchy/watery eyes, headaches, etc.
Quercetin - This is a flavanol that can be found in many different types of fruits and vegetables. Typically this flavanol is actually healthy for our bodies as it serves as an antioxidant. On the other hand, when it is introduced to our bodies with alcohol present, such as in red wine, the quercetin turns into another compound which makes it more difficult for our body to metabolize the alcohol. Some people tend to struggle with this more than others and the result seems to come in the form of headaches.
All this is not to say that you don’t have any sulfite sensitivities. Typically sulfite sensitivities tend to show themselves in the form of rashes, skin irritations, or even breathing problems. Also, white wines will tend to have higher levels of sulfites in them than red wines. So, if you are thinking you might have sulfite sensitivities, it might be beneficial to stay away from white wine, but these sulfites are most likely not the culprit of your wine headaches.