Sulfites Aren’t What’s Giving You a Headache

Ever blame a wine headache on sulfites? You’re not alone—but the real story is far more interesting. Sulfites have taken the fall for years, but science, winemaking, and your own biology tell a different tale.

If you’ve ever felt off after a glass, it’s time to look deeper. Understanding what’s truly in your wine—and how your body reacts—can sharpen your palate, boost your confidence, and transform the way you drink.

What Sulfites Actually Are—and Why They Matter

Let’s start with what sulfites do. Sulfites, or sulfur dioxide (SO₂), are both naturally occurring and deliberately added to wine. During fermentation, yeast creates trace amounts of SO₂ on its own.

Most winemakers also add sulfites during production to stabilize the wine, protect it from oxidation, and keep spoilage organisms at bay. It’s a practical step—one rooted in chemistry, not corner-cutting.

Without sulfites, most wines would be fragile. They might brown too quickly, taste dull or off, or spoil before they ever reach your table.

This is especially true for wines that travel, which means basically all of them. That bottle from Alsace or Sonoma didn’t get to you by magic—and sulfites played a role in making sure it arrived intact.

Sulfite levels in wine are tightly regulated. In the U.S., wines must carry a “contains sulfites” label if they have more than 10 parts per million.

Most wines range between 30–150 ppm. For comparison, dried apricots can have over 1,000 ppm. If sulfites were the headache trigger, you'd feel it in a snack long before you felt it in your glass.

The Real Causes: Alcohol, Histamines, and How You Drink

Sulfites may not be to blame, but that doesn’t mean wine is off the hook entirely.

There are real reasons you might feel off after a glass—or a few—and they have more to do with how wine interacts with your body than any one ingredient. The culprits are usually familiar. You just need to know where to look.

Alcohol and Dehydration

The most common culprit is alcohol itself. Wine is an intoxicant. That’s obvious—but worth restating, because it’s easy to forget that ethanol affects hydration, blood sugar, and sleep.

Even a modest amount can disrupt how your body functions, especially if you’re drinking without food, skipping water, or pouring glass after glass without pause.

Histamines and Tannins

Then there are histamines—naturally occurring compounds found in fermented foods, especially red wine.

Some people lack the enzymes to break histamines down efficiently, which can trigger headaches, flushing, or congestion.

These compounds come from grape skins, stems, and even certain microbes involved in winemaking. Whites typically contain fewer histamines because they’re made with limited skin contact.

Tannins, too, play a role. These bitter, mouth-drying compounds found in grape skins, seeds, and oak barrels can trigger the release of serotonin.

In sensitive individuals, a serotonin spike might result in a headache, especially in the context of dehydration or stress.

Your Own Physiology

Finally, there's you—your body, your rhythm, your habits. Wine interacts with the state you’re already in.

If you’re tired, stressed, underfed, or dehydrated, you’re going to feel the effects more quickly and more harshly. That’s not a flaw in the wine; it’s a signal from your system.

Smarter Drinking, Better Tasting

The good news? Once you know what to watch for, you can shape your experience. Drink with food. Always.

Wine was made to be part of a meal, and when you treat it that way, everything works better—flavor, digestion, and energy. A well-paired dish not only enhances taste but slows your intake and softens the impact of alcohol.

Hydrate as you go. A glass of water between pours is basic but powerful. It helps regulate blood volume, reduces alcohol’s diuretic effect, and keeps your palate fresh—so you actually taste more, not less, over time.

Choose wine that speaks to your body, not just your curiosity. That doesn’t mean avoiding bold reds or textured whites—it means learning which wines give you energy and which leave you flat.

A high-acid, low-alcohol red from the Loire might keep you lifted through a long meal, while a brooding Amarone might hit differently on a humid night. That awareness makes you a better taster and a more intentional drinker.

The Sulfite-Free Trap

You’ll see “sulfite-free” wines marketed as healthier, cleaner, or somehow more authentic. Be skeptical. Very few wines are truly free of sulfites—if they’ve fermented at all, they contain some naturally.

More importantly, removing sulfites altogether creates a fragile wine, prone to spoilage and off-flavors unless handled with extreme care (and consumed very quickly).

Some winemakers do produce low-sulfite or “zero-zero” wines (no additives at any stage), but these wines are stylistic choices, not necessarily safer or better for your body.

And they often require cold storage, attentive serving, and a willingness to accept variation from bottle to bottle. That’s part of their charm for some drinkers—but not a silver bullet for headaches.

Learning to Read the Wine Instead of the Label

When you stop filtering wine through fear—of sulfites, of calories, of hype—you can start exploring based on substance.

You begin to notice texture, balance, and the way different elements interact. You pay attention to how a certain varietal handles heat, or how altitude shapes acidity. You start to understand not just what you’re tasting, but why.

This isn’t about becoming a sommelier. It’s about tasting with intention and curiosity. About noticing that the same grape grown in a different soil behaves differently.

That a bottle with modest alcohol and good acidity makes for a more vibrant evening than one that’s heavy and hot. That some wines are great for conversation, while others ask for food, or quiet, or time.

You stop asking if sulfites are the problem. You start asking what the wine is offering—and what it’s asking of you.

Final Thoughts

Sulfites aren’t your enemy. They’re part of why wine exists in the beautiful, varied, accessible way it does.

When you know that, you can stop chasing myths and start cultivating real skill. And skill in wine isn’t about memorizing facts—it’s about tuning into how wine tastes, how it feels, and how it lives in context.

Tonight, try something without reading the label first. Pour slowly. Taste with intention. Drink water. Eat well.

And listen—really listen—to how the wine shows up in your body. The more you do that, the less you’ll rely on guesses or gimmicks. And the more you’ll start to trust your own palate.