Allergic reactions to wine, including sneezing, congestion, facial flushing, and difficulty breathing, are often caused by histamines or sulfites. While some people are more sensitive to these compounds, true allergies to wine’s main ingredient, grapes, are rare. Experts are unsure of the cause of the remaining 7% of reported wine allergies.
Cold-like symptoms, such as sneezing, a runny nose, and congestion, as well as facial flushing and difficulty breathing are commonly reported allergic reactions to wine. A flushed face is an oft-reported allergic reaction to wine that occurs to people of certain ethnicities. Some allergists theorize that difficulty breathing is one of the true allergic reactions to the drink, but it can also be caused by other things. Wine allergies are a controversial topic because while eight percent of the population say they have an allergic reaction to wine, industry experts are skeptical that the allergy even exists.
Symptoms of the common cold are likely due to histamines in wines. Histamines are a byproduct of allergic reactions that trigger an inflammatory response. Drinking a wine can lead to sneezing, runny nose and chest congestion due to its histamine content. Some people are more sensitive to the histamines in wine than others, especially people of Asian descent. Sulfites could also be the problem, but only 1 in 100 people react to sulfites.
Getting flushed in the face is another commonly reported sign of an allergic reaction to wine. It is most often reported in people who are from East Asia. Histamines in wine are also likely to cause this reaction. Researchers aren’t sure of the exact cause because many steps and chemicals are involved in winemaking. What they do know is that a true allergy to wine’s main ingredient, grapes, is very rare.
Those who are truly allergic to sulfites often have difficulty breathing when exposed to them. Sulfites are found in both wine and dried fruit, so if the person is allergic to dried apricots and wine, the allergen is most likely sulfites. The mere smell of wine or fruit might be enough to elicit a reaction from someone. Most wines contain sulfites, so a person with a wine allergy is unlikely to find a wine they don’t react to.
A study in Northern Europe found that around eight percent of the population believed they were having an allergic reaction to wine. Another study showed that only 10% of people have an allergic reaction to the sulfites in wine, which is believed to be the culprit for wine allergies. This has experts wondering what the other seven percent of Northern Europe is allergic to in wine, if anything. It is possible to have a negative reaction to wine without actually having an allergy.
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