I work in a wine shop and consistently have customers report various biological responses to wines, attributing them, not only to sulfites, but even to the color of the wine (red or white). The most common symptom reported is headache, but sometimes it is gastrointestinal distress or some other curious reaction. As one who is legitimately allergic to sulfa, I cannot attribute any reaction I have to a wine to sulfites because I very rarely have any problems. I do, however, regularly experience allergy-type symptoms when I drink some Spanish or Italian wines, but only those. I also experience adverse reactions to foods containing sodium benzoate. Recently, a winemaker told me that it's a common additive in wine. I wonder if that is the cause of others' reactions, as well. I read once that white wines typically contain higher levels of sulfites/sulfates, but it is always red wine that people target in their complaints. I would greatly appreciate some insight into these phenomena. Thank you!
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
While I was operating a retail business, I had many similar experiences with customers who insisted they had a negative reaction of some type to certain colors or types of wine, but not others. Sulfites were often identified as the apparent source of ill effects. In certain cases, the "cause" was that the wine was a Chardonnay..or Syrah (but not blends with Syrah)...or from California! Each person was sincere and convinced they had identified the true culprit. While scientists have not isolated all constituents of wine that may affect some people negatively - other than alcohol itself - studies show that sulfites are not to be blamed for so-called wine headaches; that a tiny fraction of the population is truly allergic to sulfites (below .5%); and that not many more have some degree of sensitivity. Associating an unpleasant reaction with a certain grape or country of origin is rather more complicated and, frankly, the best explanation is not very reassuring: past experience tends to condition future response. Scientists have known for some time how "vulnerable" human beings are to what they call perceptual bias. I clearly remember a conversation with a person who insisted that Chardonnay must have some ingredient that triggered a headache - but not Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling or any other white or red wine variety, regardless of region of origin! I am not sure, in your case, why some Spanish or Italian wines trigger "allergy-type" symptoms; in other words, I don't think we could confirm any constituent found in an assortment of the many wines from these two large wine-producing countries. In the European Union, total sulfur dioxide is limited to 160 mg/liter in dry red wines, 210 mg/l in dry whites and roses, and 260 mg/l in sweet whites and roses. In other words, dry reds normally contain fewer sulfites than equivalent whites. As to sodium benzoate, this additive is probably more common with foodstuffs, although it is used to prevent refermentation by home winemakers. Your best option, I think, is to be tested for allergies to confirm objectively if you do in fact have any of note. If the answer is positive, then the next question will be if the specific cause can be found in wine. Good luck with solving this puzzle!
