Wine is not a beverage that one binges on. We don’t “shoot” wine, like some consume whiskey, tequila or other potent potables.
Rather, most people sip wine, or enjoy it as part of a meal. As a consequence, wine hangovers are rare.
But let’s say you had one too many, and on the morning after you’re feeling the effects of the night before — right between the eyes.
How does one deal with a wine hangover?
Well, whatever you do, don’t drink more wine. (Not yet, anyway.) The “hair of the dog” approach never really works. It may re-numb your senses for a while, but before long that annoying headache will be back, perhaps stronger than before.
Many people start chugging coffee… which also is a bad idea. One of the reasons you have that headache is because you’re dehydrated. Alcohol does that. Coffee is packed with caffeine, so drinking it to cure a headache will not work; it’s just likely to make you more alert and, thus, more aware of your headache.
The best beverages to fight a hangover are packed-with-Vitamin-C juices, sports drinks that are not loaded with caffeine (such as Gatorade), or — the best choice of all — water.
Once you’ve rehydrated your body, the headache associated with a hangover will begin to subside.
Of course, the best advice in dealing with a hangover is to avoid it in the first place.
How?
By drinking just as much water as wine. I do this simply by alternating sips: a sip of wine, a sip of water… a sip of wine, a sip of water. Add bites of food to the “rotation” to further mitigate the affect of the wine’s alcohol.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Because you have to pace yourself, preventing a hangover can actually enhance your wine-drinking experience.
You’ll also remember it better.
