How many times have you heard someone say they can’t drink red wine because the sulfites give them headaches?  While we all know that headaches and alcohol sometimes go hand in hand, the problem most likely isn’t sulfites.  A few facts about this much maligned substance:

1.   Some people are allergic to sulfites, but they comprise less than 1% of the   population. 

2.   People who are sulfite-intolerant can experience heavy breathing, wheezing,   asthma, irregular heartbeat, and low blood pressure, but rarely headaches.

3.   White wine usually contains more sulfites than red wine, and most of the dried fruit we eat contain much higher levels of sulfites than either red or white wine.  So if you can eat a box of raisins without getting a headache, you’re not allergic to sulfites.

4.   There is no such thing as a 100% sulfite free wine.  Sulfites occur naturally in wine, so even if the winemaker doesn’t touch the stuff, there will still be trace amounts in your wine.

5.   Scientists aren’t sure what causes headaches from wine (other than the obvious). 

You can do a little experiment to see if you belong to the 1% who truly are sensitive to sulfites.  Just go find a bottle of USDA certified organic wine, making sure it doesn’t have a “Contains Sulfites” label.  If the same amount of wine doesn’t give you a headache, then you probably are a one-percenter.  What a bummer…