You are in the middle of a romantic evening with your favorite person, sharing a tasty little red wine that you discovered on your last wine tour and BAM! – suddenly you are in the middle of a great gastronomic crisis. Forget romance. You have a four-alarm fire in your abdomen and you need relief, fast!
Whether you know it or not, you’ve just fallen victim to a common wine-drinking hazard: red wine and heartburn. Many people report higher rates of heartburn when drinking red wine than when drinking any other alcoholic beverage. But instead of trying to pinpoint the cause of their problem, they stop drinking red wine altogether.
That’s unfortunate because red wines represent some of the best vintages in the world. In the region where I write about wine, upstate New York, quality reds are becoming the norm with Pinot Noirs, Merlots, and Cabernets that are simply out of this world.
As a wine lover, you can’t afford to eliminate red wines from the tasting equation. But since severe heartburn is also not acceptable, you’ll need to get to the bottom of your red wine and heartburn dilemma as soon as possible. Here are some of the usual red wine suspects that may play a role in causing your heartburn.
tannins. You’ve probably heard that red wines are rich in antioxidants. That’s true, in fact tannins prevent oxidation during the wine aging process. Tannins are found in the skin and seeds of the grape, which is why red wines have more tannins than white wines (the skins and seeds are removed during the white wine-making process). Commonly associated with wine headaches, tannins are also thought to contribute to heartburn and acid reflux, but no more so than coffee, which is also a high-tannin beverage.
Histamines. Most people associate histamines with allergies. But believe it or not, histamines are also an important aid in digestion. They are produced by the stomach as a way to protect it from damage. Without histamines, your stomach would not be able to produce enough stomach acid for proper digestion. The problem is that red wines are known to contain a high amount of histamines. Too much red wine may result in higher levels of histamine than your stomach can handle and lead to elevated levels of stomach acid.
acids. All wine contains a certain amount of acidity. But contrary to popular belief, white wines are generally more acidic than red wines. However, wines produced in cooler climates tend to contain higher acid levels than wines produced in warmer climates. So if you want to avoid heartburn, all you have to do is focus on red wines produced in warmer places, right? Not quite. Low-acid red wines produced in warmer places also contain more histamines than wines produced in cooler areas. In the end, it is a compromise between histamines and the acidity of the wine.
So how can you avoid heartburn when drinking red wine? Since I’m not a doctor, it should come as no surprise that my first suggestion is to see your doctor. Beyond that, experiment with different vintages, paying close attention to details like where it’s produced, its level of acidity, etc. Start with reds that were produced in warmer climates like Australia and gradually work your way up to vintages that were produced in cooler climates like New York State.
If heartburn continues to be a problem, consider taking an over-the-counter histamine blocker, either immediately before or immediately after drinking a tempting Shiraz or Cabernet. There’s a good chance that a combination of acid awareness and histamine inhibitors will allow you to pop open your favorite bottle of red wine without fear of heartburn or acid reflux.
Now, if only we could do something about those wine headaches.