You’ve heard it before, someone is offered glass of red wine and replies “I can’t, the tannins give me a headache.” What our tannins anyway? Where do they come from? Are they only in red wine, or can you find them in other things as well?

As it turns out, tannins can be found in a variety of things including the leaves used in herbal tea and the grapes used in wine. Tannins are a natural protective by product produced by these plants the keep herbivores from eating them. Even before they were known ingredient in wine, tannins were used to tan animal hides into leather.

The way they work is by breaking down the digestive processes of the animals trying to eat them. They cause the predators mouth to feel astringent (think of that puckery feeling you get from red wine). This effect is what people usually relate to getting a headache from red wine.

Some people look for red wines that have less tannins, but tannins are essential to having a good red wine. Without tannins, red wine is flavorless and bland. Tannins offer the illusion although more well rounded, robust flavor in red wine. They also help make red wine the dark, rich red color that we’re used to. Without any tannins, red wine just wouldn’t be the same.

Thinking that tannins give you a headache is incorrect. It is actually having a high alcohol content in combination with tannins that gives you a headache. Having a high tannin content is a big factor, but without the alcohol the headache never materializes. You can fight a red wine headache by drinking a glass of water for each class of red wine you have. You can also fight a tannin and alcohol headache by taking plenty of vitamin B.

To put the alcohol contribution to your red wine headache into perspective, think about the other things you consume that have tannins but don’t give you a headache. Fruit juices like cranberry, blueberry, grape and strawberry all have tannins, but none of them give you a headache. Herbal teas have tannins, but no caffeine and no alcohol, and they also do not cause headache.

Alcohol can cause dehydration and low vitamin B content. The tannins in red wine can enhance the feeling of dehydration because of their astringency. Once you start to get dehydrated, a headache can come on faster. If you pair wine with fruit, cheese and crackers it will keep the headache at bay.

So, in the end, tannins are important for flavor and color but they have very little to do with getting a headache. Without tannins red wine is bland, pale and has no kick. Tannins keep a red wine interesting and make it worth drinking. Tannins also give flavor and bite too many of the fruit juices and herbal teas we love. With out them the world of wine would be boring. So the next time someone claims they have a tannin headache, you can hand them a glass of water and tell them what tannins really do.