Evan,
I’m curious as to why Zin is particularly likely to give one headaches.
By far, that is the most dangerous wine for me to drink (ESPECIALLY RIDGE!).
A lot of people on this Board questioned my claims on this issue and any knowledge you could provide would be of great interest to me.
TTT
Hi Paul,
The holy headache trinity. Zinfandel can have any or all of the three - High ABV, high VA, residual sugar.
They are all big triggers. I was really talking about the tendency for Zin to have high VA, that is the one that I think people don’t give enough attention. I think many here will finish bottles upon opening but a lot of casual drinkers don’t and that can cause problems.
Zin tends to go this way for a variety of reasons in the cellar. Notorious uneven ripening makes for quite the adventure at crush. It can be a PITA fermenter, both primary and secondary. Soak-ups can be ridiculous. Broad sweeping statement - Zin has a long history/love/hate affair with VA as it adds sweetness to the wine and can withstand higher amounts vs. say PN without adverse sensory perception.
I love the finished wine but hate it throughout the process. Often tastes hideous to me after primary.
Haven’t heard of this particular issue before: Girlfriend and I have had about 1300 bottles of wine together. Just noticed a pattern: she has gotten headaches five times – each of them when drinking Henri Bonneau. We haven’t had the high-end cuvée, but three of his other releases (Les Rouliers, the basic Chateauneuf, Marie Beurrier), and each time, she’s gotten a headache before finishing the second glass. Each time, headache goes away by morning. Does this fit in with the above theories? Should she pound down a Claritan first?
So I am a bit of an odd data point. I fly very aggressive aerobatics and that results in high negative G (acceleration) loads where the blood rushed to your head very quickly. This results in a rapid increase in blood pressure and what we refer to as “Negative G headaches.” One of the very few cures that we have to this is red wine. It (red wine) is proven to reduce blood pressure and it helps in this regard, tenfold. For me, when a headache is looming, red wine is the only cure, not the cause!
Hypothyroidism will cause alcohol intolerance. When I was hypo and untreated, red wine gave me major headaches and a killer hangover. Since treating my hypothyroidism, this is a non issue…as long as I stay hydrated.