Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site hou5h.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxb!mhuxn!mhuxm!mhuxj!houxm!vax135!ariel!hou4b!hou5f!hou5g!hou5h!mgh From: mgh@hou5h.UUCP (Marcus Hand) Newsgroups: net.wines Subject: Re: wineache Message-ID: <387@hou5h.UUCP> Date: Mon, 11-Feb-85 10:32:44 EST Article-I.D.: hou5h.387 Posted: Mon Feb 11 10:32:44 1985 Date-Received: Wed, 13-Feb-85 04:27:36 EST References: <1043@tekgvs.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Information Systems Laboratories, Holmdel, NJ Lines: 40 Yes, I too have noticed a propensity for certain wines to give headaches. For me, it seems to be cheap whites from southern and eastern europe and california, and what I like to call "hot" reds from spain, algeria and california. (By hot I mean wines made from grapes grown in hot regions. I find the Rioja region of spain is typical, sometimes Zinfandels, and particularly a certain paul masson generic dry red. The wines have a heavy almost musty taste, and feel slightly oily. There are other intangible characteristics which I can't describe without a glass in my hand! Finally, the heavier Roussillons from southern france/pyrenee area also can have this characteristic). Strangely, the Italian reds don't seem to share this quality -- I know not why. There must be as you suggest some fermentation effect -- though what it is I don't know. I would dearly love to find out since I can drink cheap red plonk by the bucketful in one cafe, yet in another, two glasses of the heavy stuff and my mouth is like a turkish wrestlers jock strap the next morning. (Not two mention having the Chicago Symphany orchestra rehearsing Mahler's 10th inside my head) But I can live with that. What really eats my curiosity is this -- "Why do US beers and some european lagers (eg Heineken) give me vicious headaches and upset stomaches if I drink any more than three?" (and sometimnes it can be two). Whereas my tollerance of Molson is about four bottles, of guinness is around 5-6 pints (before headaches, not before getting drunk) and of most English beers is also around 5-6 pints. It appears to be nothing to do with strength either alcoholic or "body" -- it must be either something to do with the fermentation process (bottom brewed versus top brewed?) or some of the ingredients that go into these beers. Anyone know of any distinguishing ingredients? A friend suggested it might be rice -- any rice in Heineken or Beck's ? Is there less rice in Molson than Budweiser or Miller Light? (Yes, lights are just as bad as regular beers). I don't think it can be the detergent that is used for preserving the beer's head because Beck's does it to me and that comes from Germany where they have that purity law (Only natural ingredients are permitted in beer -- hence all the small breweries) Cheers, Marcus Hand.