12 Feb Wellness Wine Day

W for Wellness Wednesdays?  

Well actually I was thinking more like W – for Wellness Wine days

How many times have you woken up from the night before, hanging? Yes well I know I have on more than one occasion but thats not to say I drank like a fish or was so comatosed I couldn’t walk to my bed, no I had one maybe two glasses of wine.   

Why is it the older we become the more we can’t take it? There are certain “agents” and “additives” that are added to wine to ensure a longer shelf-life and prevent oxidation which affects wine colour and taste. When the wine finally arrives at your home, shop or restaurant, the added sulfates help guarantee that the bottle will be fresh and it should taste the way the winemaker intended. Also the huge amounts of pesticides and herbicides that are sprayed on the crops throughout the growing process.  

The added sulphites can sometimes cause negative side effects, like nasal congestion, itchy throat, a runny nose, skin rash, and upset tummies in some people. So are sulfates the real cause of common symptoms people experience when drinking just one or two glasses of wine? Or have sulphites become a red herring in the wine industry?  

I think it depends on what colour you’re drinking. If Red wines trigger unwanted side effects, sulfites are probably not causing your symptoms because red wines have fewer added sulfites than white wines do. A more likely culprit is the histamine, naturally produced in red wines or so David Meadows PhD, Founder of the Wand by Purewine says…..

He says there is actually quite an enjoyable test you can do to see where your intolerances lie….here’s what he suggests:

“There are several simple tests you can conduct to determine which alcoholic beverage you’re most sensitive to. Do a side-by-side comparison with two shots of a high quality vodka, like Tito’s, as a control for two glasses of sweet white wine or champagne (these typically have higher levels of sulfite preservatives). If you have a noticeable, allergic-like reaction to the sweet wine and not the vodka, that’s a clear indication you don’t have an ethanol sensitivity because they both have the same amount of ethanol. This means you’re intolerant to the sulfites.

Next, substitute the vodka with two glasses of a full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. If you only experience side-effects from the reds and not the whites or champagne, you are most likely sensitive to something called biogenic amines (more on them later). 

The last test? Consume two bottles of a single- or double-unfiltered craft IPA beer. Some people are particularly sensitive to the fermentation byproducts from this type of beer production. 

Using these simple (and hopefully enjoyable) tests, you’ll be able to narrow down the type of fermented alcoholic beverage you are most sensitive to. Because the total alcohol (ethanol) consumed in each test is relatively equivalent, it should be a pretty accurate test for you to establish your specific sensitivities.”

I done some research on finding some lovely and very tasty wines and yes they are a little more expensive but knowing that what you’re drinking hasn’t been dowsed in pesticides and herbicides in my opinion is worth it.   There is a fabulous winery in Guildford called Albury Organic Vineyard who supply some fabulous wines and they say ” we truly believe that organic viticulture produces better quality fruit and ultimately better quality wine”. 

I wanted to share the differences between normal wine and organic and biodynamic wine so you can see the difference between the amounts of additives are used.  I hear you asking what is the difference between Organic and Biodynamic Wine?  Well,  look no further……..

Take a look:  https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2314/2791/files/The_Differences.pdf?12779210023774449779

So there you have it…….“Wellness Wine Wednesday’s” don’t have to become “Throw up Thursday’s” anymore if you discover what your tincture is!! Happy discovery xx