Red wine allergy: What helps with histamine intolerance

If you feel unwell after a glass of red wine, you could be suffering from a red wine allergy. In this article, we show you which ingredients cause the health complaints. You will also learn how you can avoid them.

Red wine allergy – not always due to histamine

If you don’t tolerate red wine, this can have several reasons.

• If you suffer from a histamine intolerance, drinking red wine can cause the symptoms typical of an intolerance, such as a skin rash, abdominal pain and diarrhoea. Histamine is present in red wine more than in white wine.

• The term red wine allergy does not really fit here. In the case of an allergy, the immune system reacts to a substance. In the case of an intolerance, for example a histamine intolerance, the immune system is not involved. Then the body simply lacks certain enzymes to break down or absorb histamine.

• The sulphites in red wine are usually responsible for a real red wine allergy. In addition to stomach and intestinal problems, breathing difficulties and of course skin reactions can occur. Irritated coughing is particularly typical of a sulphite allergy.

• Tip: If you suffer from these symptoms, you should look at the ingredients of the wine in question. These must always be shown – perhaps on a small label on the back.

• If you do not carry the tannins in the red wine, you will notice it quite quickly. Because then you usually get a headache after drinking red wine.

• By the way, other ingredients in red wine can also be responsible for an allergic reaction. For example, some wines are clarified with chicken egg white or proteins from fish bladders, among other things.

• Residues of such substances can also cause an allergic reaction. However, these ingredients must be listed on the label. So it is always worth taking a look. This information has been compulsory since 2005.

How to deal with a red wine allergy

If you are not allergic to red wine, your only option is usually to go without.

• If you have an acute allergic reaction to red wine, for example shortness of breath or other severe symptoms, you should consult a doctor. Any allergic reaction can, in the worst case, develop into a life-threatening condition with shock.

• Those who cannot tolerate red wine due to histamine intolerance can switch to white wine.

• As already mentioned, it is worth taking a look at the label on the wine bottle. If any traces or other allergy-causing ingredients are noted here, this wine is unsuitable for you.

• If you get a buzzing head after drinking red wine, this is usually due to the tannins that you cannot tolerate. Try a wine with fewer tannins here.