A wine hangover comes mostly from how much alcohol you drank, like any hangover, but red wine adds compounds like quercetin, which 2023 UC Davis lab research suggests may slow acetaldehyde breakdown; sulfites are an unlikely culprit for most people. The quercetin idea comes from an enzyme test in a dish, not a proven cause. The fixes that work are the same for every drink: fewer glasses, smaller pours, food first and an earlier last glass.
Key takeaways
- In a 2019 randomized trial of 90 adults, drinking beer, wine or both in different orders made no difference to hangover intensity; feeling drunk and vomiting predicted it.1
- In a 2023 lab study, a quercetin breakdown product that circulates in the blood inhibited ALDH2, the enzyme that clears acetaldehyde; the authors say human testing is needed.2
- US wine labels must declare sulfites when they are detected at 10 parts per million or more.3
- In a double-blind test in 16 wine-intolerant adults, high-histamine wine caused no more reactions than low-histamine wine.4
- A 750 mL bottle of 12% wine holds about 5 US standard drinks.5
Why does a wine hangover feel different?
Mostly because of the amount, not the grape. NIAAA says the total amount of alcohol matters most, whatever the drink.6 In the best trial on drink type, 90 adults drank beer, wine or both to the same breath alcohol, and neither the type nor the order changed their hangovers.1 The full list of contributors is in what causes a hangover.
Wine makes the amount easy to lose track of. Glasses get topped off, pours are generous and many bottles are stronger than 12%. A US standard drink is 5 oz of 12% wine.5 Here's how common pours compare:
| Pour | Alcohol (ABV) | Standard drinks |
|---|---|---|
| 5 oz glass | 12% | 1.0 |
| 5 oz glass | 14.5% | 1.2 |
| 8 oz "generous" glass | 14% | 1.9 |
| 750 mL bottle | 12% | 5.1 |
| 750 mL bottle | 14.5% | 6.1 |
Some people do react to wine itself. In a survey in Mainz, Germany, 7.2% of respondents reported wine intolerance, more often women (8.9%) than men (5.2%). Flushing, itching and a stuffy nose were the most common reactions, and they were more common after red wine.7
Red wine headaches: is quercetin the cause?
Possibly, but it hasn't been tested in people yet. The idea comes from a 2023 UC Davis lab study of an enzyme, not from drinkers.
Quercetin is a flavonoid in grapes, and red wine has much more of it than white wine or other drinks. In the lab, quercetin-3-glucuronide, a form of quercetin that circulates in the blood, inhibited ALDH2, the enzyme that clears acetaldehyde. The researchers propose that acetaldehyde could then build up and trigger headaches in susceptible people, and they say human testing is needed.2 Grapes make quercetin in response to sunlight, so sun-exposed clusters contain more.8
Two cautions. Blood acetaldehyde doesn't consistently track how bad a hangover is,9 and a result in a dish often doesn't carry over to a person. As of October 2026, we found no published human trial of the hypothesis. More on the compound itself in what acetaldehyde is.
A related warning: people who flush red after drinking often carry an inactive ALDH2 variant. Flushing is a sign of acetaldehyde exposure and is linked to a higher risk of esophageal cancer with regular drinking, and no supplement makes drinking safer for people who flush.10
Sulfites, tannins and histamine: what's likely and what isn't?
Alcohol is the main event. The usual wine suspects range from unproven to unlikely.
| Suspect | What the evidence says | Our read |
|---|---|---|
| Alcohol (ethanol) | Total amount and how drunk people felt predicted hangovers in trials.1, 6 | The main cause |
| Quercetin | Inhibited ALDH2 in a lab enzyme study; not tested in people.2 | Plausible, unproven |
| Other congeners | Bourbon gave worse hangover ratings than vodka, but alcohol itself had a much stronger effect.11 | Real but secondary |
| Sulfites | Sensitivity is reported mainly in people with asthma (3% to 10% of them); reactions range from hives and stomach pain to asthma attacks.12 | Unlikely for most people |
| Histamine | High-histamine wine caused no more reactions than low-histamine wine in a double-blind test.4 | Unlikely |
| Tannins | We found no controlled human studies linking tannins to hangovers. | Unknown |
Sulfites are preservatives, and US labels must say so when they reach 10 parts per million.3 NIAAA notes that sulfites can cause headaches in people who are sensitive to them.6 If wine gives you wheezing or hives, talk to a doctor rather than switching bottles.
Red vs. white vs. sparkling: which is worse?
For hangovers, the one you drink more of. Red has more quercetin and is more often linked to allergy-like symptoms,2, 7 but white and red at the same strength carry the same alcohol.
Bubbles may speed things up. In a small crossover study, 12 people reached higher blood alcohol and slower reaction times with champagne than with the same champagne de-gassed.13 Toasts also tend to arrive on top of whatever you were already drinking.
How can you drink wine with fewer regrets?
Count glasses, shrink pours and eat. Current US guidance is "Consume less alcohol for better overall health."14
- Pick a number before the first pour, and finish each glass before a refill so you can keep count.
- Check the label. A 14.5% wine adds up about 20% faster than a 12% one.
- Drink it with food. In one small study, men who drank after breakfast peaked at 67 mg/dL of blood alcohol versus 104 mg/dL on an empty stomach.15
- Keep a water glass next to the wine glass. It slows you down, though water hasn't been shown to prevent hangovers.16
- Notice your pattern. If red wine reliably brings a headache within a few hours, even after a glass, try white or skip it.
Heading to a wedding? See our wedding hangover guide, and the hangover myths worth retiring.
What should you do the morning after?
The same as any hangover: give it time. NIAAA says nothing but time cures a hangover.6 Drink water for thirst, eat something bland, rest, and skip "hair of the dog," which NIAAA says can prolong the malaise. Don't drive until you feel fully clear; hangovers impair attention and coordination.6 For more, see how to cure a hangover and hangover headaches.
What we don't know yet
Nobody has tested the quercetin hypothesis in people, or shown which wines are "safer." Tannins are essentially unstudied, and we found no research comparing cheap and expensive wine. Individual triggers vary, so your own pattern is useful data.
Frequently asked questions
Why does red wine give me a headache?
Nobody knows for sure. The leading hypothesis, from a 2023 UC Davis lab study, is that a quercetin breakdown product blocks ALDH2, letting acetaldehyde build up in susceptible people, but it hasn't been tested in humans. Histamine, another common suspect, didn't hold up in a small double-blind test.
Do sulfites cause hangovers?
Probably not for most people. Sulfite sensitivity is real, but studies report it mainly in people with asthma, and reactions include hives, stomach upset and asthma attacks. NIAAA notes sulfites can cause headaches in sensitive people, and US labels must declare them at 10 parts per million or more.
Are wine hangovers worse than beer hangovers?
Not in the best trial. When 90 adults drank beer, wine or both to the same breath alcohol, neither the drink type nor the order changed hangover intensity. How drunk people felt mattered more.
Does cheap wine give you a worse hangover?
We found no controlled studies comparing cheap and expensive wine. What usually matters is the alcohol content and how much you pour, so check the ABV on the label and count your glasses.
How do you get over a wine hangover?
Time is the only cure. Drink water for thirst, eat something bland, rest and skip more alcohol, and follow the label and a pharmacist's advice on any pain reliever. Vomiting that won't stop, confusion or trouble staying awake can mean alcohol poisoning, so call 911.
Sources
- Köchling J, Geis B, Wirth S, Hensel KO. Grape or grain but never the twain? A randomized controlled multiarm matched-triplet crossover trial of beer and wine. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019;109(2):345–352. PubMed
- Devi A, Levin M, Waterhouse AL. Inhibition of ALDH2 by quercetin glucuronide suggests a new hypothesis to explain red wine headaches. Sci Rep. 2023;13:19503. PubMed
- Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB). Wine Labeling: Declaration of Sulfites. Accessed October 9, 2026. Link
- Kanny G, Gerbaux V, Olszewski A, et al. No correlation between wine intolerance and histamine content of wine. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001;107:375–378. PubMed
- NIAAA. What Is a Standard Drink? Updated December 2025. Link
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Hangovers. Updated December 2025. Link
- Wigand P, Blettner M, Saloga J, Decker H. Prevalence of wine intolerance: results of a survey from Mainz, Germany. Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2012;109:437–444. PubMed
- Quinton A. Why Do Some People Get Headaches From Drinking Red Wine? University of California, Davis. November 20, 2023. Link
- Mackus M, van de Loo AJ, Garssen J, Kraneveld AD, Scholey A, Verster JC. The role of alcohol metabolism in the pathology of alcohol hangover. J Clin Med. 2020;9(11). PubMed
- Brooks PJ, Enoch MA, Goldman D, Li TK, Yokoyama A. The alcohol flushing response: an unrecognized risk factor for esophageal cancer from alcohol consumption. PLoS Med. 2009;6(3):e50. PubMed
- Rohsenow DJ, Howland J. The role of beverage congeners in hangover and other residual effects of alcohol intoxication: a review. Curr Drug Abuse Rev. 2010;3(2):76–79. PubMed
- Vally H, Misso NL. Adverse reactions to the sulphite additives. Gastroenterol Hepatol Bed Bench. 2012;5:16–23. PubMed
- Ridout F, Gould S, Nunes C, Hindmarch I. The effects of carbon dioxide in champagne on psychometric performance and blood-alcohol concentration. Alcohol Alcohol. 2003;38:381–385. PubMed
- US Department of Agriculture and US Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030. Released January 7, 2026. PDF
- Jones AW, Jönsson KA. Food-induced lowering of blood-ethanol profiles and increased rate of elimination immediately after a meal. J Forensic Sci. 1994;39:1084–1093. PubMed
- Imai H, Kushio S, Matsuura K, et al. Water intake during drinking does not alleviate hangover symptoms. Front Pharmacol. 2026;17:1852528. PubMed
- US Food and Drug Administration. 21 CFR 201.326: Over-the-counter drug products containing internal analgesic/antipyretic active ingredients; required warnings. eCFR. Link
- NIAAA. Understanding the Dangers of Alcohol Overdose. Updated December 2025. Link
Published by Fuller Health, which makes After Party. This article is general information, not medical advice: talk to a doctor or pharmacist about your own health, medicines and drinking. Last reviewed October 9, 2026. How we research and write.