Wine is one of the most popular drinks throughout the world because it is incredibly versatile and there are many different options to choose from. Most people are aware of the typical choices for wine. There are red wines such as Cabernet, Pinot Noir, and Grenache, there are white wines such as Moscato, Pinot Grigio, and Chardonnay, and then there are Rose wines and sparkling wines. The type of wines that most people are unaware of are low histamine wines.
What are Low Histamines wines?
Low histamine wines are wines that contain lower levels of histamine and are perfect for people with histamine allergies. Before we dive into low histamine wines and where to find them, let's discuss what histamine allergies are and why this matters when it comes to wine.
What are symptoms of histamine allergy?
There are many foods that have high amounts of histamines in them. Foods that have been aged or fermented such as cheese, meats, wines, beer, and some veggies will have high histamine levels. The most common food allergies are gluten and lactose, but there are a lot of people who are allergic to histamines. This allergy is referred to as histamine intolerance (HIT). People with HIT are not able to process the histamine in their body and it causes them to have an allergic reaction. The symptoms of HIT include gut issues such as IBS, stomach aches, nausea, vomiting, and other general digestive issues. Other symptoms include skin irritations, respiratory issues such as sneezing and coughing, headaches, and dizziness. For people who have HIT, enjoying a glass of wine after a long day is anything but relaxing.
How many histamines are in wine?
Red wines typically contain higher levels of histamines than whites wines, but white wines are still not histamine free. Red wines can have anywhere from 60-3,800 mg of histamine in the wine. White wines have about 3-120mg and Champagnes have anywhere from 15-670mg of histamine.
So what exactly are histamines?
Histamines are a compound of amines. Amines are compounds of amino acids that form together to make proteins. In foods where protein degradation takes place in the production of the food (cheese, fermented veggies, alcohol) there will be amines. The other common types of amines besides histamine are tryptamine, putrescine, tyramine, isoamylamine, and phenylethylamine. Wine will naturally have histamines in it because it is a fermented beverage, but the production process of wine can also effect the histamine levels found in the wine. New research has shown that the type of bacteria used in the fermentation process can effect the histamine levels. Wineries have been experimenting with different types of bacteria to try to create low histamine wines. Another factor that can effect the levels of histamines in wine is the grapes used to make the wine. Dolcetto grapes have been found to have naturally lower levels of histamines that other types of grapes. Also, if the grapes are not good, quality grapes this could effect the fermentation process and cause there to be more histamine in the wine.
Low Histamine wines from Italy
An Italian wine consultant Sebastiano Ramello started a project to create low histamine wines so that his HIT mother could enjoy wine again. Ramello found wines from Italian region of Piedmont that were produced by Veglio Michelino & Figlio that had less than 1.5mg/litre of histamine in the wine. This was remarkable because most wines have at least 4-20mg/litre of histamine present in the wine. Working with this vineyard, Ramello was able develop wines that contain less than 0.5mg/litre of histamine. These wines are developed officially certified and are certified low histamine wines.
So where can you find low histamine wine?
DolceVita Wine Club is an online Italian wine club that offers a select variety of wines from small Italian wineries. The wines featured on their website are unique and not found on other wine websites. DolceVita Wine Club is the only online retailer in the UK that sells the Veglio Michelino low histamine wine. People who live in the UK and suffer from HIT now have the opportunity to enjoy wine again. DV Wine Club offers both red and white low histamine wines. The best part about these low histamine wines is that they are priced the same as the other quality wines featured on their website. Often allergy sensitive foods have a higher price tag, but DV is making low histamine wine accessible for everyone in the UK. You can find the low histamine wines on the DV wine club website following this link.
