Can sulfites be the cause of wine headaches?

It is very unlikely that sulfites are the cause for wine headaches for most people, according to WineSpectator.com. Fewer than 1 percent of the population has a true sensitivity to sulfites, and generally those people also have chronic asthma, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Sulfites may cause headaches in people with sulfite sensitivity, but other factors in wine may also be to blame. Thick-skinned grapes result in wine with a higher alcohol content, so chronic headache sufferers may want to try wines made from thinner-skinned grapes, says The Huffington Post. Other possible contributors to wine headaches include tannins and histamines in full-bodied red wines, WineSpectator.com adds.