Red Wine Low In Tannin

Wurly

Hi there folks,

As a regular migraine sufferer, I have been advised not to drink red wine due to the tannins. These little buggers induce migraines.

Upon visiting my GP today, she said that if I found a wine with a low sulphite/tannin content, it could be less risky. I have done a bit of research on the net and found the following information:

"Beaujolais (low tannin)
Tempranillo (low tannin)
Pinot Noir, from the United States (low to medium tannin)
Burgundy (low to medium tannin)
Chianti Classico (low to medium tannin)
Barbaresco (low to medium tannin)
Bordeaux (low to medium tannin)
Merlot, from the United States (low tannin)

Cru Beaujolais (or Villages, I guess) - Duboeuf and Joseph Drouhin are the two most common importers from Beaujolais. Wines from Beaujolais run from light to full bodied, so be careful with your selection. Try one from the village of Moulin-a-Vent as they are usually the lightest Beaujolais villages wines. You can also look for a Beaujolais Nouveau from 2011, which is also light with few tannins.

Cabernet Franc - You want a Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley. They are still a good value and are light & flavorful. You will want to look for one from the Chinon region. These are some of the best, but also the easiest to find outside of France. When looking for this type of red wine, you won't have to worry about a specific producer as much since the region is highly regulated. Every producer at each price point has a fairly similar taste and consistency. I just had a great Cabernet Franc from this region last week. It was about $16 and I picked it up at my local wine shop.

Garnache/(Grenache?) - You can find great Grenache (french) or Garnacha (spanish) wine from a number of regions. I like Grenache wines from the Languedoc region in France because they are a great value. Again, the producer name won't matter as much since their rules require a certain quality of wine at each price point. I drink these often and they are almost always under $20. Another one I just tried was a Garnacha from the Navarra region in Spain. This might be a little more difficult to find, but another great value. The one I tried was an Old Vine Garnacha and it was about $13 a bottle from my local wine shop. If you are not able to find a wine from either of these regions, then look for one from the Rhone region in France. These are a little pricier but you can usually find some around the $20 to $25 price point. Ones from the region of Chateauneuf-du-Pape are my favorites -- but they are a blend, so not 100% Grenache.

Malbec (or a low-tannin Malbec blend) - The best Malbecs at this price point are from Argentina. Malbecs are usually medium bodied and have higher tannins than the other ones listed here. Look for a wine from Mendoza -- you can usually find a good one under $20 from the following producers: Achaval Ferrer, Bodega Norton, Luca (or Luca Nico), Punto Final or Ruta 22. Many of the Malbecs from these producers are also on the lighter side."

Now I am by no means a wine buff... And as you can see, this was written by someone from the states.

Is there anyone who can debunk this for me and possibly give me a good brand name to buy? I'm heading into my 4th dry weekend... I'd just love a nice glass of red. Any info much appreciated. Thanks.:)

ASJ112

Cant help you debunk the above, but I was looking for a bottle of wine low in sulphites for a family member who has migraines, and got a bio-dynamic bottle for around 20 euros I think. Its supposed to have a lot less sulphites/chemicals.

If you're in Dublin, I got it in Fallon and Byrne. I'd imagine any good wine shop would be able to help you find one low in sulphites too.

Slaphead07

ASJ112 wrote: »

Cant help you debunk the above, but I was looking for a bottle of wine low in sulphites for a family member who has migraines, and got a bio-dynamic bottle for around 20 euros I think. Its supposed to have a lot less sulphites/chemicals.

If you're in Dublin, I got it in Fallon and Byrne. I'd imagine any good wine shop would be able to help you find one low in sulphites too.

Now let me first say I'm no doctor but... sulphites can bring on symptoms similar to asthma in a small percentage of people but I've never heard of them causing migraines. Dried fruit has x10 the amount of sulphites as wine and yet people buy it as a healthy alternative. Really, there's nothing wrong with suphites for teh vast majority of people and their effects are overstated.

Tannin? Well again I've never heard of tannins causing migraine but I suppose it's possible -I might sell wine but that doesn't give me medical qualifications! I suspect what's far more likely is that the chemicals found in mass produced "industrial" wines are what's causing migraines or really bad hangovers.

stevenmu

I don't know a lot about wines, but I thought that high tannin content was a defining characteristic of red wines. I'd suspect that one's which are low in tannins are only relatively low compared to other reds.

trishasaffron

OP I love wine and especially used to adore red - heavy full bodied in particular. But the side effects became increasingly terrible - headaches was the least of it. Sometimes (even after just a glass or two and especially if the meat was marinaded in wine) I'd be sick (throwing up) for 24 hours or more. So reluctantly I gave up wine (its the only alcohol I drink) but eventually found a way to manage.

Firstly I reduced the amount I drink - though I still drink too much i.e almost every evening with dinner. I only drink with food and, if possible, only French wine. I mostly drink white, either Sauvignon or Chenin Blanc from the Loire e.g. Saumur as I find white has less side effects. For red I can now drink small amounts of very light French red. I check the alcohol amount and try to stay less than 13% and go for Beaujolais or Loire reds (Sancerre, St Nicolas de Bourgeuil).

It just about works though it does mean that eating out with friends is a bit iffy when they want to go for a full bodied new world wine. I now dislike those wines and they taste like fruit juice to me so no great loss.

I can't say for sure what the trigger for me for the bad effects, could be sulfites, moulds, I don't know. So you may have to experiment to find out what works for you. But a while getting your system clear will be no harm.

Carawaystick

Wurly wrote: »

Hi there folks,

As a regular migraine sufferer, I have
[SIZE="3"][SIZE="2"][COLOR="Blue"]"Beaujolais (low tannin)

Cru Beaujolais (or Villages, I guess) - Duboeuf and Joseph Drouhin are the two most common importers from Beaujolais. Wines from Beaujolais run from light to full bodied, so be careful with your selection. Try one from the village of Moulin-a-Vent as they are usually the lightest Beaujolais villages wines. You can also look for a Beaujolais Nouveau from 2011, which is also light


Now I am by no means a wine buff... And as you can see, this was written by someone from the states.

Is there anyone who can debunk this for me and possibly give me a good brand name to buy? I'm heading into my 4th dry weekend... I'd just love a nice glass of red. Any info much appreciated. Thanks.:)

Get some Beaujolais, Beaujolais villages or Fleurie ( a sub-region of beajolais ). See if you like it, it might say to drink a bit colder than normal red wine on the label.

These are the lowest tannin reds I know of to reliably get here.

Slaphead07

Carawaystick wrote: »

These are the lowest tannin reds I know of to reliably get here.

Or a Pinot Noir or Bardolino from Italy. There's really quite a few lighter red wines out there. Ask in a wine shop.

Wurly

Thanks for all the replies folks. I had a 2010 beaujolais on Friday and it was fabulous. I could even tell by the taste that it wasn't as heavy and the taste was lovely. Superquinn do a lovely beaujolais for €8.50.

Bte - just so you know... apparently hangovers are actually migraines. Migraines have been relatively misunderstood until now and even still, there are a lot of grey areas. They are not all headache based.... - I never have a headache but I still have migraine. Lots of varying symptoms and causes.

Tannins do cause migraines, as do sulphites. But the more, the worse. So, provided I have no other triggers that day, I should safely be able to have a glass of beaujolais every other weekend.

Slaphead07

Here a good article on the subject. http://winefolly.com/tutorial/the-best-wines-to-avoid-a-wine-hangover/

blondeybaba

Slaphead07 wrote: »

Here a good article on the subject. http://winefolly.com/tutorial/the-best-wines-to-avoid-a-wine-hangover/

There's a new sulphite free wine on the market and it is fabulous! I think it's around the 12.99 mark it's by Gerard Bertrand - internationally acclaimed winemaker from France. Available in O'Briens wines in most stores I think.

BaZmO*

Wurly wrote: »

Bte - just so you know... apparently hangovers are actually migraines. Migraines have been relatively misunderstood until now and even still, there are a lot of grey areas. They are not all headache based.... - I never have a headache but I still have migraine. Lots of varying symptoms and causes.

Not sure I agree with that. Hangovers tend to be caused due to dehydration so I don't see how that is linked to migraines.