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Frequently asked Wine Questions

All About Sulfites

Red Wine Headaches

Selling Wine You Own

Starting a Wine Cellar

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Sulfites in Wine

What are sulfites, and should I be worried?

Sulfur dioxide is added to wine to help control microbiological activity. Without it wine is nasty tasting (Try Organic Wine Works Wines).

A certain amount of sulfites are also naturally present, as they are in most fruits.

To be fair it is Free Sulfites, rather than sulfites in general, that bother a very tiny portion of the population. Free sulfites are very low in wine. In fact orange juice, salad bars and dried fruits each contain many more parts per million of sulfites than wine does.

Sulfite sensitivity is very rare, if you think you suffer from this, contact your doctor.

If Sulfites are so rarely a problem, why the warning label?

It seems there are those who would make wine illegal again. These Neoprohibitionists work in subtle ways, prefering to chip away at public opinion, and create panic. The warning labels on wine is one of their tools. It is good to warn those who may have a problem with sulfites, but it seems unfair to scare the general population for something that is very rare.

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Red Wine Headaches

Red Wine seems to give me a headache, is there anything I can do?

[The following answer has been on my web site since 1996. Recent research seems to have disproved the histamine link to wine headaches. It is interesting to note that wine headaches tend to be clustered by culture. While red wine headaches are common in the US, white wine headaches are common elsewhere. As with all ill effects attributed to alcoholic beverages, ultimately, it is probably the alcohol itself that is to blame.]

Red wine headaches are a common complaint from people that suffer from allergies. Red wine contains histamines from the skins of the grape. Unfortunately antihistamines react with alcohol causing drowsiness.

Some people report that taking Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) before drinking red wine helps to prevent the headaches, and does not cause drowsiness.

Recent studies indicate that aspirin is better for red wine headaches than other forms of relief. Personally I am fond of Enteric Aspirin (coated) because it does not bother my stomach.

DO NOT TAKE ANY MEDICATION WITHOUT FIRST CONSULTING YOUR DOCTOR
I am not a physician and this should not be construed as medical advice.

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Selling Wine

Can I sell wines from my collection?

In most States it is illegal for individuals to sell wine. Auction Houses will usually take wine from consignor's, regardless off what State the wine is shipped from. If you would like help with the auction process, our parent company Buyers & Cellars Wine Consultants will be happy to help.

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