Wine Allergens
Do you find after a glass of wine your flushed, cheeks red, nose dripping, itchy eyes, maybe a rash, a bit nausea or a dry throat? Read on to meet the common culprits.
Egg Whites
Egg whites contain a protein that is often used to help clarify red wines while they're aging. This protein can cause nasal congestion, hives, skin inflammation and cramps caused by the body releasing histamines to protect itself.
Casein
Casein is found in dairy, so if you have a reaction to dairy, such as sneezing, itchy eyes, swelling, rash, itchy skin and nasal congestion then this might be your culprit. It used often to help clarify white wines.
Sulphites
Sulfites are naturally occurring during the fermentation process and help preserve the wine but sometimes wine producers add a bit extra. It can cause dry throat, hives and vomiting.
Isinglass
Isinglass is a protein made from collagen and taken from the bladders of fish. It's used to keep from stripping the flavour from whites and rose. It can cause cramps, flushing, wheezing and inflammation.
Chitosan
This wine ingredient is made up of the exoskeletons of some seafoods and is used as a fining agent in white wine. It can cause tingling in your mouth, itching, eczema and abdominal pain.
So how do you avoid all these allergens?
Most wine allergens come from animal products so looking for vegan wines is one way. Another is to look for biodynamic and low intervention wines. These often contain minimal sulphites. While sulphite free wines are available, they are also rare and have a very short shelf life. Fortunately, the ones with minimal amounts rarely cause an issue. Thankfully, many of the bio-dynamic, low intervention wines are also vegan. So next time you're purchasing check the label for vegan friendly and minimal sulphites and get back to sipping wine without fear.
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