Does cheap plonk contain more allergens than more expensive stuff?

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truthseeker

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I have some kind of allergy to wine, within a few sips my sinuses become totally congested and I have hayfever type symptoms. This can usually be controlled with some over the counter type anti histamine or nmasal decongestant.

I asked my GP about it and she said that she has heard of it alright, but doesnt know what it is in wine that causes it. Her advice was to ask someone who knows about wine what causes it.

Over the weekend I was in a nice restaurant and we ordered a bottle of slightly more expensive plonk than usual. I did not get the allergic reaction.

So the question is - is it something in cheaper wines that causes this or is it just a particular chemical in some wines (expense not being a factor)?
 
Sulfites might be the culprit? Check the labels - sometimes the content is mentioned. Generally red contains more than white.

If it's something else (chemical) then it makes sense that better quality wines may have less of an effect as they usually contain less chemicals.
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Correction: OK, have just checked and whilst this is sometimes the case it is not necessarily so. Depends on the wine. Some whites contain more sulfites than some reds.
 
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Caveat said:
Sulfites might be the culprit? Check the labels - sometimes the content is mentioned. Generally red contains more than white.

If it's something else (chemical) then it makes sense that better quality wines may have less of an effect as they usually contain less chemicals.
Click to expand...
Yep, sulfites are probably the problem. They can also cause asthma like symthoms.
 
Do sulphites exist in any other foods? (I could try eating something else with them and see does it produce the same symptoms).
I used to blame it on smoke in bars - but since the smoking ban Ive realised that its the wine itself - not the smokey athmosphere. I dont tend to drink often so its not a massive medical problem or anything like that, but itd be nice to be able to sit through the second half of a show (after an interval glass of wine) without snuffling and sniffing and congestion!!
 
Thanks for your help, I found a list of the names used on food labelling that means sulphites so I will test this theory out with a food containing them and see what happens.
 
Post with the results (or ask your next of kin to do so if it turns out the reaction was severe) ;)
 
I went to a good wine place last night and had a chat with the guy there about my wine experiences - he agreed its sulphites. He reckoned that instead of proving the theory by looking for food containing sulphites and trying to trigger the reaction that instead I should test from the other direction and try for a wine that it doesnt happen with.

With that in mind he sold me an organic pinot grigio to try out and the best bit is - if I suffer the symptoms with this one he is going to research the subject for me and find me something that I can drink :)

So roll on the weekend where I have an excuse to get slightly squiffy trying out my organic wine :)
 
ok - I can report that the organic wine has NOT produced the allergy type symptoms.

Am slightly squiffy now, but no sniffles at all - yeeaa!!
 
Hi there,

Can you tell us the name of the organic wine you tired and where might stock them? I also suffer badly after some wines and have been on the hunt for something kinder for a while :)

Cheers, m.
 
Hi,
Ive only tried the one (plan to try others), the one I tried is called Villa Teresa, its a pinot grigio - I got it in a new off licence on the block where the Lidl is opposite Marlay Park - I would think any good off licence does organic wines, this place had a number of shelves dedicated to them. They also suggested trying bio-dynamic wine too - but I havent tried that yet.

Let us know if you try an organic wine that works and I will add it to my list of possibles!!
 
Excellent, thanks, will try to hunt that down and will add any I find :)
I've been asking in the larger stores- M&S, Sainsburys and Tesco and people look at me like I'm a bit mad!
 
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