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And the Oscar Goes To...

2/25/2013

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In honor of this week's Academy Awards, check out these wine related movies! 

While the Oscars are supposed to represent the best of the film industry, the movies I list here... well, some do, and some... do not...

In my research for this post, I realized that there are really not that many great movies out there about wine. What gives?! 

Anyhow, here’s the list of ones I find worth watching, for one reason or another. Starting with the best.

Sideways: 
This is the best wine movie I've ever seen.  It was nominated for several Academy Awards: best picture, supporting actor and actress,  best director, and it won for best adapted screenplay. It’s darkly funny, it’s sad, and it makes wine seem totally sexy and mystical (which in reality, it both is and isn’t.) I don’t always agree with the opinions of the characters- I’ll take a Merlot over a Pinot Noir any day- but I really do love this movie.

It chronicles the adventures of sad sack novelist and wine snob Miles (Paul Giamatti) as he takes his best friend, a washed up and self-absorbed TV actor named Jack (played by Thomas Haden Church) wine tasting in central CA. The trip is a sort of last hurrah before Jack’s wedding. Lots and lots of crazy things happen to them. They drink a LOT of wine, meet some interesting people, and get themselves in and out of some sticky situations. If you haven’t seen it, you should. And if you have seen it, you should watch it again.

French Kiss: 
Ok this one isn’t EXACTLY a wine movie. But since the whole thing revolves around Kevin Kline trying to start his own vineyard through less-than-honest fundraising practices, and has plenty of gorgeous shots of French wine country, I thought it should be included on the list. It’s a definite vintage rom-com, but Kevin Kline is a treasure. Always. And Meg Ryan really was America's sweetheart. It probably overly-romanticizes wine and viticulture (as many movies do,) but it is a good time nonetheless.

Bottle Shock: 
This movie is a feel-good comedy that is loosely based on a true story. In 1976, “The Judgment of Paris,” a blind tasting judged by France’s preeminent wine experts, was held by a British expat wine lover and the owner of La Academie du Vin. At this time, American wines were not held in any sort of high regard and California was seen as very primitive and backwoods. Well, to the shock of the wine world, two Napa Valley wines won. Stag’s Leap (for some reason, not even mentioned once in this movie) won the red competition, and Chateau Montelena (the subject of the movie) won in the white category.  

I’ll admit, this movie was the most disappointing of the ones I've seen in that it doesn’t really live up to its potential. In my opinion, it focuses too much on the relationships and character backstory (we really didn’t need a love triangle there) and the dialogue isn’t great. I’ve read some major criticisms of the acting, which I don’t know I agree with. Bill Pullman and Alan Rickman, are, as always, pretty darn good. And I think the rest of the actors were doing the best they could with the words they were given  (Chris Pine’s wig, however, is a travesty. For reals. Awful. Distractingly bad.) 

The scenes involving actual winemaking and work in the vineyard are pretty enchanting. I wasn’t really sucked in until Bill Pullman busted out his wine thief and gave Alan Rickman a taste of chardonnay. 
  
Ultimately, it is an easy to watch, cute, feel good movie. The fact that it gives a little info about a true event is a plus, and it streams on Netflix, so why not? I definitely recommend opening a bottle of wine while you watch. (Though don’t feel bad if you can’t afford the roughly $11,300 for a bottle of the award-winning 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay.)

Mondovino: This one is a documentary and wee bit long (over 2 hours.) It was apparently initially intended to be a miniseries (and has since been released as such in the UK) and not consumed in one sitting. This makes sense. It was a little hard on my modern attention span. Especially since much of it is not in English and you really have to pay attention to those subtitles! As a warning, it certainly doesn't do anything to dispel the snobby image of the wine world! 

The filmmakers travel the world visiting winemakers of different sizes and passion levels. It is an interesting look at the globalization of wine and the effect that large producers have had on the world. Americans don’t necessarily come across too well, and it is insinuated that massive California producers like Mondavi/Opus One are to blame for a decline in variety and quality in consumer palates the world over. In fact, many of the proponents of globalization, be they American or French, seem to have been intentionally portrayed as either over-the-top stupid, or money obsessed. Which, may be true, but it made me embarrassed on behalf of the subjects.

The film romanticizes small French producers quite a bit. But perhaps with good reason (I, myself, would much rather drink a hand-crafted bottle of wine than a jug of mass-produced stuff. But this is a whole other post. I’ll go into it one day.) The overall message of the movie seemed to be that globalization is damaging local style and panache because consumers are now expecting a certain dull, uniform wine made popular by the mass producers. 

All in all, the pace is slow, the material is interesting, the viewpoint is a little muddy, and I liked it. But I think it would’ve been better as a TV series.

 A Good Year:
OK, so I admit, didn’t even watch this one. I was gonna… and then, the Rotten Tomatoes reviews scared me away. ("So why include it?" you ask. Well, in case YOU want to watch it and report back!) Anyone seen it? Is it as bad as they say?

OK. That’s it! If you feel passionately about my reviews (in any way) or have seen any fab wine-related movies that I’ve missed, share them in the comments!

Did you know?
A whole vineyard was basically kidnapped for ransom? Vanity Fair ran a fascinating story a few years ago called The Assassin in the Vineyard. I can’t WAIT for this one to be made into a movie. Somebody get on it!

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You Too Can Make Wine!

2/22/2013

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I even make wine in my apartment. It is lovingly referred to closet, or alternatively, bathtub wine. Care is taken to keep the cat hair out of it. Don't worry.
Are you curious about making wine yourself? Afraid to give it a try? Don’t be! Thanks to easy-to-follow home winemaking kits it is cinchier than you’d think.

I’ve done several in my one bedroom apartment- with moderate success (the wines are definitely drinkable, but all wind up a little sweeter than I’d like.) I am going to chronicle the process of my next kit to share with y’all as I go along.

I’m working with a Vintner’s Reserve Pinot Blanc juice kit. The kit generally comes with juice, yeast, fining agents, and any other additions you need to make (like SO2 or oak.) The juice is already supposedly balanced for sugar, acid, nutrients, etc. As a general rule, I’d recommend you start with a white kit- just till you get the hang of things. There’re fewer steps to take, and you don't have to worry about color quite so much. The kits vary in price from a basic one like I listed above to some special edition ones. This is the first time I've gone this bare-bones, so we'll see how it turns out. 

I plan to stray a little from the kit's instructions this time around, but if you’re a first timer and new to the winemaking process, I’d say just follow them to a T. If you are patient and can follow a recipe, you'll be dandy. The last two kits I’ve made have turned out decently well, but a little sweeter tasting than I’d like (despite finishing the fermentation) so this time I plan to do some tinkering around with acid additions. The other route I could take would be to try a different yeast strain, but this time, my goal is to play with acid.

One of my classmates, Dave Specter, of the soon-to-open Bells Up Winery in Newberg Oregon, (we’ll call him Dave the Awesome, or DtA for short,) was super generous and hooked me up with a list of supplies for my first home winemaking kit (and even mailed me a few extra useful things later on.) His suggestions were extremely helpful in getting me started. I’ve included them (as well as a few extras from my own experience) here. The notes are mine, but the list itself was mainly compiled by Dave.  If you have any questions, feel free to contact me. If you want to praise Dave's awesomeness, do so in the comments. 

I do recommend you get everything on DtA’s list before getting started. (I recommend you stock up on cleaning and sanitizing ingredients in larger quantities than you think you’ll need. Sanitation is everything. The majority of time you spend on this project will be cleaning and sanitizing. It is tedious, but 100% worth it. If you’re gonna be lazy about cleanliness, don’t bother making wine at all. It’ll be a complete waste of time and money if you get to the end and find out you’ve got vinegar or something that tastes like a packing box that sat in a flooded garage for a week. And yes, that's a thing.)

In terms of purchasing, I of course, recommend your local brewing or winemaking supply store first. However, if you don’t have one, then you can order online quite easily. Midwest Supplies has it all (and thanks to Facebook, I now know that one of my high school classmates works for them- small world!) Your first shopping trip for supplies won’t be cheap. But once you’ve stocked up, the only things you really have to get for each subsequent wine batch are juice kits, corks, bottles (unless you wash and re-use!) and cleaning and sanitizing stuff. Not too shabby.

OK- Go forth, collect your supplies and watch for the next post to get you started! 


Did you know?
Winemaking can actually be dangerous! When working in the cellar, safety demands that a buddy system be used. There have been (very rare) cases of workers passing out and falling into tanks of wine because they got hit by a big rush of carbon dioxide at the top! Yipes! Especially while cleaning, some workers will even wear a harness- just in case. For you fellow TV nerds, there was even an episode of USA's Royal Pains in which this dilemma was featured. As I recall, the patient was saved- crisis averted!
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Accessorize! 

2/20/2013

2 Comments

 
There are lots of wine accessories on the market. I obviously haven’t tried them all, but I do have opinions on a few.

1.     Decanters.
I have one. I almost never use it. If I were drinking lots of aged red wines, or unfiltered wines with lots of sediment, it’d probably be getting more use. Also, I’m seldom pouring out a whole bottle at once. That said, they are pretty and would work well at dinner parties.

2.     Openers (there are lots of different kinds of openers. I’ve tried many. And I have strong feelings on which is the best.) It's a little bit of a Goldilocks situation.
            a.     The winged variety of corkscrew.  Frankly, I hate these (no offense to this particular brand- I just hate them in general.) They suck. In my experience, about 8 times out of 10, they just destroy the cork. If I’m successful in getting it out, it inevitably leaves little bits floating in my bottle. No thanks. We can do better.
            b.     The Rabbit.  I was super excited to get one of these. I assumed it would streamline my life. Sadly, it did not. It does a good job about 70% of the time, but the other 30% has been sort of disastrous. Once, it pushed the cork in, only about halfway. I was able to stop it going all the way in, but as it pulled the cork back up, it also drew red wine up around the sides, thereby spraying my dining room in a shower of red droplets. For the price, I don’t’ think you really get the most bang for your buck- so to speak.
           c.      The waiter-style corkscrew. This one is my favorite. It is cheap, easy to use, and almost never fails me. It may take a little bit of practice to get down pat, but once you do, I think you’ll never go back. I do like the double hinged variety. It allows for more sort of "ratcheting" control. And most come with a built in blade for cutting foil.
           d.     The weird two pronged variety of opener. I’ve never used one and am scared to try. In the words of Lucille Bluth, “I don’t understand the question, and I won’t respond to it.”

3.     Aerators.
I have the Vinturi. I really like it. I wouldn’t have bought it for myself (it was a delightful Christmas gift a few years ago.). But I love having one and have since purchased quite a few of them as gifts. They do everything a decanter does and are much more versatile. You can pour one or two glasses at a time, take it on a picnic, wash it easily... If you're choosing a product that will remove sediment and let oxygen into your wine, skip the decanter. This is the way to go. (They also make a model specific to aerating spirits. I haven't used it, but have heard good things.)

4.     Chillers. (For those of you who don't want to live on the edge by throwing a bottle in the freezer and setting a timer like I do...)
          The only one I've personally tried is your classic marble chiller- good for keeping things cool. I have friends who own one and we often bust it out when drinking white wines at their place. It does a good job. 

           If you're curious about investigating other types, there are several out there on the market. They range from low to high tech.


5.     Wine charms. These are frivolous and unnecessary, for sure. However, they’re fun. If you plan to entertain frequently and want to help your guests remember whose glass is whose, they’re a fun little item to own. There are several variations on the theme. I personally find the stick-on mustaches quite delightful, though the ones I own are a little more conventional- but hand made!


6.     And, the best of all, the Vacuum Wine Saver. This thing is THE ONE. Lots of you probably have one, but if you don't, get one now. You can keep wine fresh for a long time with these suckas. Especially in the fridge. 

Do you have any favorite wine accessories? Disagree with any of my opinions? Have you uncovered the surprising genius that is the two-pronged opener? Feel free to share in the comments.

UPDATE: My awesome friend, Kevin (hopefully he'll be guest-posting soon,) informs me that the two-pronged wine openers DO serve a purpose.
In a wine where the cork has become degraded, a regular corkscrew will just shred it and you'll wind up with giant chunks of cork in your bottle. Soooo, those two prongs are meant to slip in around the outside of the wonky cork and gently wiggle it up out of the bottle. He's never had to use one, but that's theoretically what they are for.
 Learning!

UPDATE 2: This comment comes from one of my amazing classmates, Dave Specter of Bells Up Winery. "One small thing. I love the vacuum sealers and they do their job well. But even with the sealers, wine can pick up odors from your fridge from stronger smelling foods. It also happens with unopened bottles, which is why I don't advise leaving a bottle in the fridge for terribly long - opened or not." Good advice, Dave! 

Did you know?
A great way to keep red wine from staining is to immediately cover the spill with baking soda. Then you can rinse it out, or vacuum it off and then spot clean with water, depending on the location of the spill. Seriously. I accidentally sloshed on someone’s couch one time. Baking soda right away meant there wasn’t a trace of the stain left! It was miraculous. 

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Tasting is Hard!

2/17/2013

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Wine tasting can be hard! Well, obviously tasting isn't hard- you just put the wine in your mouth and your tastebuds (and your nose!) go to work. But putting your finger on what exactly it is you’re tasting in a glass of wine can be tricky. Really, it takes practice. 

The tricky thing about taste is that just like with colors, people perceive flavors differently. I ran into this experience in class where everyone but me had identified something as “honeydew” but to me, it was clearly a more floral note like “jasmine.”
Nothing melony about it.

That said, I do find it really useful to have a list of flavors- it helps me to really pinpoint what it is I think I’m tasting or smelling.

Dr. Ann Noble at UC Davis is credited with creating the Wine Aroma Wheel. You can buy one here.
They’re visually pleasing, sturdy, and easy to follow (you start in the center and work your way out.) But if you don’t want to buy one, there are some knockoff versions available through a basic google search (though buying one is the forthright thing to do.) Or, you can also just sort of think of things by category.

I’ll list the categories I find most useful below (note that my categories don’t exactly line up with the ones on the aroma wheel, but it’s a similar idea.) I’ve tried to color code them by white or red wine. Red wine descriptors are in red, and white wine descriptors are in green. If something could easily apply to both, they'll be brown. This is not to say that any of these flavors couldn't be present in either type, it's just going to be more common in the ones I've colored here. Some of you may disagree with my categories, which is OK by me. You may also someday detect something that I haven't included here- good job!

Fruity
            Fresh                                                                   Dried
            Blackberry                                                          Fig
            Cherry                                                                 Raisin
            Strawberry
            Raspberry
            Currant
            Apple
            Apricot
            Peach
            Grapefruit
            Lemon
            Lime
            Lychee
            Guava
            Pineapple               
Nutty
            Almond
            Walnut
            Hazelnut
Spicy/ Toasted
            Anise
            Clove
            Pepper
            Cinnamon
            Tobacco
            Vanilla
            Caramel
           Coffee
            Chocolate
            Toast
            Leather
Vegetal (some of these are desirable. Some aren't.)
            Green Beans
            Bell Pepper
            Grass
            Olive
Floral
            Honeysuckle
            Jasmine
            Tulip
            Violet
            Orange Blossom
            Rose
Woody
            Oak
            Pine
            Cedar
Mineral
            Chalk
            Limestone
Fungal
           Truffle
            Mushroom
Other
            Butter
           Honey
           Cheese

Read More
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Your Mission, Should You Choose to Accept...

2/16/2013

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We clearly felt passionate about Chilean wines that night...
By far, the most fun (and voluntary!) homework assignment given me from Washington State University was to start a wine tasting group with my friends. One of my favorite Enology professors (holla Jim!) told us of an assignment he was given as a grad student: in order to figure out where you want your wines to stand on a global scale, start a monthly tasting group where each month you select a different region of the world. My Chicago group has been going for well over a year and we've all learned a ton!

So, if you’d like to start one of your own, your assignment is as follows:

- Select a group of friends (any size will do- ours fluctuates from about 6-12 people) who are interested in learning about wine and not afraid to nerd it up.

- Each month, or every other month, or quarterly (whatever works best for your schedules,) a different person or couple will choose a region of the world. They will study this region and create a presentation for the rest of the group (we use Powerpoint- no joke.) It should cover things like – what are the typical characteristics of wines from this region? Why are they like this?  Are there any famous wines from this region? etc. 
The fun part is that the hosts purchase a selection of wines from this region for people to taste. The cost of the bottles should be split evenly amongst the group. This means it stays relatively fair from host to host. A tip I'm going to suggest is for everyone to take notes on each wine as they're poured (it is impossible to remember them all when you get home.) This is something this month's hostess did, and I wish we'd started it from square one!

-Each host (or any member really) should feel free to invite new members to the group- the more people you have, the larger variety of wines you can taste! Plus, it is a great way to make new friends! We’ve had people come and stay on as regulars, or come every few months when they are able. It’s been great.

Our group has evolved into the non-hosting members bringing a little snack to share- though I’m a stickler, and when I host, I encourage people to wait to eat till after they’ve tasted a little of each wine- keep those tastebuds pure (with the exception of bland crackers.) But there've been some yummy treats!

After almost a year and a half, we’re starting to feel as if we might run out of regions, so now will also be moving to comparing varietals- such as, "let’s see what the differences are between Cabernet Sauvignons from California, Australia, Chile, France, etc." I'm also hoping to do one on boxed wines. 

So far, we've done the following: Bordeaux, California, Argentina, Chile, Germany, Sparkling, Sake, Portugal, South Africa, Australia, Spain, and Italy (I hope I'm not forgetting any- hopefully my group members will comment if I am!)

This group has taught me a lot about pinpointing what characteristics are common to specific varietals (and contrastingly, which characteristics are flipped totally on end from region to region,) what I like and don’t like, and just how much climate and location really can impact a finished wine! It is also a great way to find new wines you like and would want to buy 
again. There's usually a keeper or two at each meeting.

Go forth! Have fun! Drink responsibly!

(A little tip to the hosts- ask people to pay up before they start tasting- things usually get a little too fun and people often forget till the next day.)

Oh, and for scheduling, we use Doodle. It’s very useful!


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Just a few of our awesome regular attendees. I had more pics, but they were blurry... my photo skillz do not improve with wine.
Did you know? 
Australian and German Rieslings taste nothing alike. I was never a big fan of Riesling, but the only ones I’d really had were either German or German style sweet or off-dry wines. While hosting the Australia night, I discovered that their Rieslings are often very tart with citrus notes- not sweet at all, and just what I like in a nice, food friendly, white wine. The more you learn...

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Yes, I Would Like to Smell the Bottlecap...

2/12/2013

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As a child- and an adult- this has always been good for a cheer-up. So, on this bleak February day (I'm unfairly assuming you don't live in the tropics,) enjoy some hearty wine- related laughs courtesy of the brilliant Jim Henson, Frank Oz, and Steve Martin. You're welcome. 
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Glassware: form = function

2/8/2013

4 Comments

 
This post topic was suggested by Stacey- she wanted to know if glass size and shape were actually important and if so, why?

Well, the short answer is: Yes. They are important. Now, I’m going to preface this by saying that if you don’t have the ideal glassware, but you have a bottle of wine that wants drinkin’, use what you’ve got! Juice glass, solo cup, whatever.

However, if you do want to… “maximize your wine experience” we’ll say, then the proper glassware can help.

The ideal wine glass is what they call "tulip" shaped and made from clear glass (you can tell a lot about a wine by its color- something I'll go into in another post- and colored glass would mask those clues.) It has a big full bowl and narrows slightly as it goes up toward the rim. You know what it looks like. It looks like this: 

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The reason its shape is considered ideal is that the round bowl allows you to swirl the wine around (there IS a good reason people swirl wine in the glass- it isn't just to look pretentious,) unlocking aroma compounds, which are then trapped a little in the air inside the glass until you can take a little sniff and sip. You actually have two pathways for smelling- your nose (obviously) and also receptors in the back of your throat that you use when you take a drink. So getting those aroma compounds to come out of the wine, but stay trapped in your glass till you can get it up to your nose or mouth will maximize all that this amazingly complex stuff has to offer.

One of these days I’ll go into aroma compounds a little bit more in-depth because they’re pretty nifty. But for now, all you need to know is that some are quick to escape from the wine, and some take a little longer. This is why it is smart to re-cork or vacuum seal a bottle of wine right away if you don’t plan to drink it all in one sitting. It’s also why a glass of wine can continue to change in aroma and taste as it is exposed to oxygen and “breathes.”

(As a general rule, red wines tend to have more complex aroma components and therefore do well to “open up” a little and let those aroma compounds unlock from the wine before drinking.)

Now, there’s also another question when it comes to glassware- stemless or stemmed?

Stemless glasses like this one are pretty trendy right now. 

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They do have the correct shape for swirling and trapping aroma compounds. However, I personally only recommend stemless glasses for red wines. This is pretty simple- red wines are supposed to be served warmer than whites, which are best served fresh out of the fridge. (As a side note, the "room temperature" recommended for red wines was established before we all had central heating. They actually should be served a little cooler than modern room temp.)

Ok, back to glassware- A stemless glass will absorb heat from your hand, and therefore it really isn't good for retaining that nice crisp temperature for whites. Also, with a cold white wine, they’re more likely to sweat and make a ring on the bottom- if you care about such things. Ultimately, It’s really a matter of preference.  

I like a nice medium to large glass with a stem- and it needs to be sturdy. I got mine for cheap at Pier One- they get broken, it happens, and this way, they're easily replaceable and I- or my guests- don't feel too bad.

Cheers!


Did you know?
When you detect something like blackberry or lychee in a glass of wine, that’s because you are tasting or smelling the same molecular compounds that are present in those fruits!  

4 Comments

A flowchart! 

2/3/2013

6 Comments

 
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This is for you more visual learners. It details the white winemaking process (red would have a few more steps.)
 It has a lot of info I didn't really cover in-depth in my first post, but hopefully it's decently easy to understand anyhow. Enjoy and remember to ask any questions in the comments!

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Sulfites. A bad rap...

2/1/2013

3 Comments

 
Firstly, I should apologize for not getting in the more fun, photo filled post I was hoping for- I’ve been pretty sick, and therefore missed some great photo ops last weekend at Wines of the World. It also didn’t allow for the taste-along-post I have planned. I decided not to feed my fever with wine...  But those posts are coming. I promise!

So, for this post, I want to talk about sulfites and their unfair reputation. I hear a lot of people say “oh, I can’t drink wine because I’m allergic to the sulfites- they give me a headache…” Well. In a word. No.

Sulfites are added to many, many things we eat all the time from frozen foods to dried fruit. They are naturally occurring in wine in very small amounts but are also added to prevent microbial growth. Some winemakers are brave and don’t use additions, but this is very risky. Even one yeast or bacterial cell in a bottle could spoil the whole thing. It’s safer to add sulfites- usually in the form of potassium metabisulfite, and most winemakers do. However, even in the cases where they’re added to wine, the amount is miniscule (we’re talking somewhere around 40 parts per million at the time of addition- and they dissipate easily, even from a closed bottle- so by the time you’re drinking it, it’s far, far less.) For a person to react to such a miniscule amount, they'd have to be extremely sensitive. 

Furthermore, sulfite allergies do not present as a headache- they’d present as typical allergic reactions- trouble breathing, itching, sneezing, etc. Due to the commonality of sulfites in our food, if you were allergic (especially to the point of detecting them in such eensy amounts,) you would already know that they were a significant health issue for you.  

So… why do some people get a headache from drinking wine? Well, the verdict is still out here… There are many different (and often contradictory) studies trying to figure this out, but no one has definitively… yet...

We do know that headaches are more commonly reported from red wine than white- and some scientists theorize that this could be due to small amounts of histamines present in red wines. It is certainly possible- however, remember that again, there are such very, very, very teensy amounts of histamines in wine, a person would have to be extraordinarily sensitive to them to have a response from a single glass of red. And again, if you were that sensitive, you’d probably already know.

So, while we don’t really know exactly why some people get a headache from red wine but not from white (it could be as simple as higher sugar and alcohol levels,) we can be pretty sure it ISN’T sulfites. If you’re one of these sensitive people, double up on your water, and pop an anti-histamine- just for good measure. 


Don't believe me yet? Check out this Wall Street Journal article. Or this one, from the Chicago Tribune. If you have access to scientific journals, there are many more studies out there- but they're not exactly light reading... 

Did you know?
Most wine is not truly vegan. (Sorry friends!) They can contain traces of insects, chicken eggs, and even fish products! 

Any insects on the grapes when they are harvested and brought into the winery are crushed right into the wine. This seldom causes any issues in terms of wine quality, and due to fermentation and filtering, bacterial contamination from these bugs is not a concern.
Also, some winemaking processes, such as egg whites for tannin removal, involve the use of animal products- again, you won’t get salmonella, but traces could remain! Isinglass (derived from fish bladders) is also sometimes used to settle suspended solids out of wine.
All are pretty gross to think about, but don’t negatively affect the quality of the wine in your glass- I promise! 

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    I'm a wine-loving actress in the Windy City who holds certificates in Enology and Viticulture from Washington State University. I also own a hilarious cat.

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