Why does wine give me a headache?

The most common culprits are the alcohol itself and dehydration, with histamines and tannins in red wine as other possible triggers; sulfites get most of the blame but are less often the cause than people think.

Plenty of people get a headache from wine, sometimes after just one glass. There's no single proven cause, and it varies from person to person. Here's what is commonly pointed to and a few things worth trying.

Most common factors: Alcohol and dehydration
Often linked to red wine: Histamines and tannins
Sulfites: A common suspect, but less often the cause than people think
If it keeps happening: Talk to a doctor

What people commonly point to

Alcohol is the biggest factor. It dehydrates you, and stronger wines or bigger pours mean more of it. Many people find their headache tracks with how much and how fast they drank more than with which wine it was.

Red wine gets singled out more than white. It tends to have more histamines and tannin, and some people seem more sensitive to those than others, though the research is not settled.

What about sulfites?

Sulfites are a preservative used in almost all wine, and "contains sulfites" on the label makes them an easy target. A small number of people do have a real sensitivity, but for most, they are less often the cause of a headache than people assume.

White wine and many dried fruits often contain as much or more sulfite than red, yet red wine is the one most people blame. That mismatch is a hint something else is usually going on.

Things worth trying

Drink a glass of water alongside each glass of wine, eat something, and pick a lower-alcohol bottle. Notice whether it happens with every wine or mostly reds, and keep track.

This isn't medical advice. If headaches are severe, frequent, or come with other symptoms, talk to a doctor rather than guessing.

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Last checked 2026-10-18.