Those Head-Splitting Reds Looking for the Perfect No One Can Work with Wine Without Tipping Back Summer Dish? Your Search Too Much from Time to Time
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Shrimp on the Melon Those Head-Splitting Reds Looking for the perfect No one can work with wine without tipping back summer dish? Your search too much from time to time. The morning after. The is over … really. Cucumber Dining In headache, the nausea and the sun, as Nicholas Klar The Naked Vine Gazpacho with Shrimp and AMBER RECKER once wrote, “is like God’s flashlight.” Nobody to Melon is perfect in so many blame but yourself. MIKE ROSENBERG ways. Don’t be put off by But what if the pain isn’t your fault? What if you the combination. It may chopped (for garnish) only had a glass or two and your head feels like John For a low-tannin wine, I used DuBoeuf Domaine sound unconventional, but the 1 piece fresh ginger, coarsely Bonham has been using it for a snare? I’ve had more de Grand Croix 2008 Brouilly Beaujolais ($10-$13). texture and the flavors combine chopped than one person say to me, “I like red wine, but I can’t This wine is darker in color and somewhat richer than to offer a soothing and delicious 1 small clove garlic, coarsely drink it. If I even sip the stuff, I get a massive head- many Beaujolais. It sports a fairly strong nose of cher- summertime treat. chopped ache.” At the wine salon two different people told me ries and blackberries. There’s plenty of fruit balanced Not only are cucumbers and − 3 tablespoons extra-virgin ol- versions of that very thing. The “red wine headache” nicely with a solid acidity. Nice crisp finish too. It cuts melons from the same botani- ive oil is a not uncommon malady. I wanted to see if, as a nicely through spices. I made a Thai beef noodle soup cal family, making them beyond − ¼ cup plain low-fat yogurt public service, I could track down the cause. After all, with it, and it was very tasty. compatible when paired together, − ¾ teaspoon kosher salt what good is wine if you can’t enjoy it? Tannins are known to cause a release of serotonin they are also full of nutrients like − ¼ teaspoon freshly ground The first explanation I generally stumble across: in the brain. High levels of serotonin can trigger a mi- vitamins C and B6. The fresh black pepper “It’s the sulfites in the wine! Red wine in the U.S. has graine. However, wine’s not the only source of tannin herbs add a burst of intensity, − ¼ teaspoon hot sauce all these sulfites. I’ve gone to [insert European country in a diet, and no one’s ever complained of a tea or not to mention powerful antioxi- − ¼ lb. large shrimp peeled, of your choice here] and the wine doesn’t have sulfites chocolate headache, so back to the drawing board. dants. cooked and cut into medium dice in it, so I can drink it just fine. I can drink white wine A third possibility is histamines. In some people Whether for a dinner party, − ½ cup seedless cantaloupe, till the cows come home, but red wines lay me out.” histamines can trigger an allergic reaction brought on picnic or weekday meal, as a side cut into small dice So, to cover my bases, I decided to go with an by a lack of a certain enzyme in the bloodstream. This dish, appetizer, or full meal, this imported white wine. I used Il Palazzone 2010 Orvieto reaction can cause headaches as well as flushing or gazpacho will not disappoint. Preparation: Classico Superiore Terre Vineate for this ($10-$13). runny nose. The levels of histamines in red wines are Special note: this dish is easi- In food processor combine It’s a very flavorful white wine. This wine has a nose 20 to 200 percent higher than in whites. Spanish reds ly adapted to suit vegetarian diets coarsely chopped cucumber, of flowers and licorice. It’s medium-bodied with some are often lower in histamines, so I went with the Mar- by omitting the shrimp. Another scallions, coarsely chopped soft citrusy flavors and a little bit of oak. It has a very tin Codax 2009 “Ergo” Rioja Tempranillo ($10-$12). palate-pleasing option is to sub- herbs, ginger, garlic, olive oil and easy finish. Tasty to drink on its own, but with shell- The Codax albarino went very well with New Year’s stitute lobster or prawns for the yogurt and process until smooth, fish or a light fish dish, it’s very nice. dinner for us, and the Tempranillo was also quite posi- shrimp. about one minute. I thought I’d solved the mystery. Find unsulfited tive. The nose was of dark fruit and spices, almost like Stir in ½ teaspoon salt, pep- wines and you’re fine, right? There are some of them cherry cobbler. The wine’s lighter than it smells. Some Ingredients: per and hot sauce, then transfer out there. Unfortunately, a little more research turned nice berry flavors and well-balanced light tannins. The 1¾ cucumbers, peeled, seed- to large airtight container and re- up one very interesting fact: White wines almost al- finish is easy and somewhat dry. ed and coarsely chopped (about 3 frigerate 1-4 hours. ways have more sulfites than red wines. Histamines seem to be a somewhat more likely ¼ cups), plus ¼ large cucumber, In small bowl, stir together There is such a thing as a sulfite allergy – it usu- culprit for these headaches, although there hasn’t peeled, seeded and cut into small shrimp and remaining cucum- ally causes breathing problems. It’s also a pretty rare been conclusive research on low vs. high histamine dice for garnish (about ¼ cup) bers, herbs, and salt. Fold canta- condition. These are generally people who can’t eat wines. Even so, defense against histamines may fight 2 scallions (white and green loupe into soup. dried fruit and the like, since it causes them breathing off some of the headaches. A person can drink a cup parts), coarsely chopped Divide soup evenly among problems. Why more sulfites in whites? Sulfites are of strong black tea before drinking red wine. A com- ½ cup (loosely packed) as- four chilled bowls and top each used as preservatives. Red wine has a natural preser- pound in black tea suppresses a histamine response. sorted fresh herbs, such as ba- with dollop of shrimp mixture. vative built in, generally: tannin. Wines that age well Aspirin before drinking can also help, although aspi- sil, chives and mint, coarsely Serve immediately. are usually tannic, so avoiding tannic wines might chopped, plus ¼ cup finely [email protected] stop the headaches. 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