TIL:RWH

[timelets]

Red Wine Headache is such a common complaint that it has both an acronym (RWH) and its very own Wikipedia page, albeit with a disclaimer noting a lack of medical evidence regarding the condition and its causes.

Dehydration can cause headaches, and alcohol acts as a diuretic—which means, of course, that dehydration can result from drinking both red and white wines, as well as other alcoholic beverages. A red wine headache might also signal an insufficiency of magnesium. “Alcohol is a major depleter of magnesium,” said Dr. Mauskop. He recommends that headache sufferers take 400 milligrams of magnesium per day.

Dr. Mauskop himself gets headaches from red wine occasionally. When he feels a headache coming on, he’ll sometimes take Imitrex (generic name: Sumatriptan), a drug that affects serotonin receptors, thereby relieving pain.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/is-red-wine-really-the-cause-of-that-headache-11546541270

Usually, I get some RWH from Cabs, but not from Pinot Noirs or even Zinfandels. Also, over the years I've learned to avoid most Bordeaux wines, just in case. Maybe it's the shape of the bottle that triggers RWH :)