Red wine
Red wine was my favorite until I found myself up at 2 in the morning. There is no question (doing my own personal survey here) that alcohol and sleep is tougher as you get older. For me, red wine is the worst. I just don’t drink it that often anymore and when I do it is a one glass treat.
Over the past year there have been a few red wine remedies for these problems. I backed one them on Kickstarter. One is called Ullo – the Wine Purifier. I received it a few weeks ago and left it in the city to try when we return. This removes sulfites and supposedly brings wine back to its natural state, preservative-free to enjoy.
The other is called The Wand. Not sure how this came across my box but I received it and took it out to the beach to try. Supposedly the issue with sulfites has been happening for thousands of years so good to know.
You take the wand and stir it into 6 ounces of wine (silly to do less because then you would need another wand). You have to mix the wand in the wine for at least 3 minutes. I timed it. That’s pretty long when you are poured and ready to go.
I am not sure what it is in the pouch that is on the end of the wand but we did a taste test. It definitely makes the wine taste lighter and Fred swore the wine had a hint of chemicals in it. Did it work? I honestly didn’t drink that much so I can’t tell you but I am going to try out the Ullo when I get back.
Somehow the concept of pouring the wine through a purifier than stirring something into 6 ounces for 3 minutes seems more desirable.
Comments (Archived):
We need to have a glass of wine and I i will sort this out for you!Sulfites are natural to wine. The remedy in my not so humble opinion is none of these items, it is in what you drink.And the choices are limitless.
ok. really good french wines don’t have the same effect for whatever reason
btw–my friend’s wine bar opening in a Dirty Bird was a smashing success.you can get a plate of fried chicken and a bottle of natural wine for less than $40 thee minutes from the express stop on 14th street. I thought he was crazy, he is, but my gut tells me that his bar and the partnership just might work.
will go check it out
And (more) exciting (I think) is that Rouge Tomate is reopening really close by soon.I would like you to be introed to my friend Pascalene the Somm there if you don’t know her. Astounding women.
I miss Rouge Tomate. Its original location had one of the coolest restaurant space I had ever been in.And food + wine selections were awesome.I’m on their email list. Do you know when is the re-opening scheduled for?
The answer has been soon for a long time. Lots of red tape opening a restaurant in a location that was never one before.I’m sure i’ll know when the wine bar is open pre opening. I keep asking Pascalene.
Hahahaha. “Sorry, I can’t have your inexpensive bottle of Spanish red, but we will have the Lafite”.
Are you implying that white wine is OK for you, but not red?Curious – is it the sulfites or something else?
Almost all alcohol gives me insomnia at this point! Check out some of the natural selections at Frankly Wines. One she carries is La Garagista, made by my friend Deirdre Heekin in Vermont!
Christy is a great friend of mine and i as well am a fan of Deirdre. Loved her book btw.
Deirdre is a fantastic winemaker, and writer, and does some design and so much more – total renaissance woman! So glad she has so many fans!
I’ve met her and her husband a few times at tastings and had a bottle of her sparking recently.I’m sure she will remember me as I had a tasting community website in New York for a number of years.But yes good people .
Have you tried organic, sulfite free wines Joanne? If not, I suggest you do as it may alleviate some of the issues you’re experiencing. Cheers!!
All wines have sulfites naturally of course but the selection of no sulfite or very minimally added of really high quality is really quite broad now in NY.For whites as well now that skin fermented whites are becoming more common.
My girlfriends call this the “Wine Wakeup.” I should have had more red wine in my 20s because I can’t drink it now!
My wife has similar trouble……something about being over 50. My mother in law knitted me a cap to sleep in. I will leave it there as we joke about it a lot but not getting sleep makes you ornery!
I don’t believe reaction to the sulfites in wine as anything to do with age.Reaction to alcohol yes but they are completely different topics.
I hear stories all the time about women over 50 having trouble with red wine. My only assumption would be menopause and the interaction with hormones etc. but I have no scientific data to back it up at all.
i don’t have opinions on things i know absolutely nothing about.I personally drink more whites than reds generally and more skin fermented whites as a rule lately. And probably 70+% no sulfites added.
Sadly my 52 year old liver does not metabolize alcohol as efficiently as it used to – one glass is ok, any more I wake up. Drinking lots of water helps a bit but not totally.
i don’t drink wine because the sulfates give me a headache. I can drink 3 glasses of vodka and not get a headache but wine is a killer.
each alcohol and how I sleep is totally different. agree.
The best solution I’ve seen really work is drinking one glass of Pedialite before anything else. It’s been a life saver for many of my friends. Hope that helps.
fascinating.