Why Red Wine Gives You Headaches

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Two glasses of Cabernet and you wake up feeling like someone’s drilling into your skull. Meanwhile, your friend polishes off half a bottle with zero consequences. What gives?

If you’ve ever Googled “why does red wine give me a headache,” you’ve probably read that sulfites are the villain. It’s the most repeated wine myth on the internet. And it’s almost certainly wrong.

Here’s what the science actually says about red wine headaches, why they happen to some people and not others, and what you can do about it tonight.

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Why Red Wine Gives You Headaches