The quality of Italian wines, their lower alcohol levels, and the related aging processes can mean that Italian wines are less likely to give you a hangover than other kinds of alcohol. Maybe your penchant for bargain wines is to blame for your headache. The cheaper the juice, the worse the fallout, right? So, does cheap wine cause headaches? Headaches are only one of the set of nasty physical consequences of drinking too much, otherwise known as a hangover. And when the wine is cheap and free-flowing, it’s easy to be less than rigorous when it comes to counting refills. In other words, maybe you simply went a little too hard without realizing it.
The Effects of Cheap Alcohol
Get ready for a hangover! The main reason cheap alcohol gives you a worse hangover is because it contains a certain amount of trace alcohols. These alcohols can really mess up your system, especially when consumed in higher quantities. Additionally, cheap alcoholic drinks may also contain higher than usual amounts of congeners, which often result in an unpleasant feeling and a raging hangover when consumed.
While congeners and tannins are present in most red wines, certain red wines are less likely to give you a hangover. Dry reds with an alcohol content between 12.5 to 13.5% are generally a safer bet. Medium-bodied wines and those with moderate tannins like Tempranillo or Cabernet Sauvignon are also unlikely to cause as bad of a hangover.
One particular congener – methanol – breaks down into the toxins formaldehyde and formic acid, which can worsen a hangover. A 2006 Dutch study on college students found that darker alcohol with more congeners tends to cause worse hangovers. It also found that liquors were more likely to cause hangovers than beer or wine, likely because liquor has higher alcohol concentrations.
Choosing the Right Wine
Which wine gives more hangover?
Does cheap wine give worse hangover? Maybe cheap juice causes headache. When wine flows freely, it’s easy to lose count of refills. You may have just drunk too much.
Cheap alcohol has trace alcohols. These alcohols mess up your system, causing unpleasant feelings and hangovers. While tannins occur in most reds, certain reds are less likely to cause hangovers. Dry reds around 13% alcohol are safer bets. Tempranillo or Cabernet Sauvignon wines with moderate tannins rarely cause bad hangovers.
One congener, methanol, breaks into formaldehyde and formic acid. These worsen hangovers. A Dutch study found darker alcohol with more congeners causes worse hangovers. It also found liquors more likely to cause hangovers than beer or wine, as liquor has higher alcohol.
More congeners mean worse hangover. Darker liquor like whiskey has more congeners. Vodka and wine have fewer congeners and may cause less severe hangovers.
While some think red wine’s heaviness causes worse hangovers, others believe white wine’s acidity wreaks stomach havoc the next day. Professor Steve Allsop says hangover strength relates to congeners. More congeners mean darker alcohol.
Overall, red wine causes more headache trouble than white wine. It naturally contains more histamine and stimulates more serotonin release. A wine hangover’s duration depends on your personal reaction. The amount you drink mainly determines how long a hangover lasts. Most hangover symptoms shouldn’t last over 24 hours. But wine-triggered migraines differ. Even small wine amounts can trigger migraines lasting 3-5 days.
Congeners contribute to hangover severity but aren’t the only factors. Bubbles cause the champagne hangover more than congeners. Champagne bubbles accelerate alcohol bloodstream absorption. This combines with pre-food champagne guzzling to cause nasty hangovers. Even pacing later can’t undo half a bottle’s empty stomach damage.
What wine is least likely to cause a hangover?
Red wine’s higher alcohol percentage causes worse hangovers than white’s average 8-9%. But some reds like Tempranillo or Cabernet Sauvignon with lower alcohol and fewer tannins are better. Drink red wine sparingly or try Pinot Noir, with lower tannins. Or switch to white!
Whichever wine you choose, drinking less is still key to waking up refreshed. Throwing back a bottle of white is still more likely cause a hangover than just one glass of red. So enjoy your Pinot Noir, just with moderation.
If you’re looking to reduce the chance of a wine hangover, opt for a lower alcohol wine like Moscato or Riesling. All wine can cause a hangover if enough is consumed. Cheap wine isn’t more likely to cause a hangover. Sugar masks flavors of lower-quality fruit, causing dehydration and bad hangovers. But even expensive wines can be very high in sugar, causing just as bad hangovers.