By Dr Naomi Newman-Beinart (PhD), Chartered Psychologist and Registered Nutritional Therapist specialising in women’s health.
Why can one person can enjoy a few glasses of wine and feel perfectly fine the next day, while another is left battling poor sleep, headaches, fatigue and brain fog for days afterwards. Nutritional therapist Dr Naomi Newman-Beinart explains why wine affects us so differently.
When entrepreneur and podcast host Steven Bartlett recently said that just three glasses of wine can derail the next few days of his life, plenty of people recognised exactly what he meant. He spoke about sleeping badly, feeling less productive, skipping exercise and simply not feeling like himself.
For some, three glasses barely register. For others, they’re enough to trigger headaches, fatigue, bloating, anxiety and brain fog that linger well beyond the next morning. So why can the same amount of wine produce such dramatically different experiences?
It’s not always just the alcohol
Alcohol has well-established effects on the body. Even moderate amounts can disrupt blood sugar regulation, increase inflammation, interfere with mood-regulating neurotransmitters and significantly reduce sleep quality.
Many people think alcohol helps them sleep. In reality, while it may help you fall asleep more quickly, it suppresses the deeper stages of restorative sleep, making you more likely to wake during the night and feel less refreshed the following day. For many people, poor-quality sleep alone accounts for a large proportion of what they describe as a hangover.
Why does wine affect everyone differently?
There’s far more to wine than its alcohol content. Wine contains a wide range of naturally occurring compounds, including histamines and yeast-derived substances. The amount of these compounds can vary depending on factors such as the grape variety, the fermentation process and how the wine is produced.
Our own biology also plays a major role. Genetics, gut health, stress levels, hormone fluctuations, liver function, medication, existing inflammation and even how well we’ve slept beforehand can all influence how our bodies process alcohol. That’s why two people can drink the same bottle together and feel completely different the next day.
Could it be the wine itself?
Sometimes people notice they tolerate one style of wine much better than another. For example, they may consistently feel worse after drinking a Cabernet Sauvignon but have very few symptoms after a Pinot Noir. Others find white wine causes more problems than red, or vice versa. While this doesn’t automatically mean someone has an intolerance, recognising those patterns can be useful.
This is where food intolerance testing may provide another piece of the puzzle. I often recommend that clients who don’t want to give up wine and still want to enjoy it, check how they react to it. YorkTest’s Premium Food Intolerance Test measures IgG reactions to a range of common wine grape varieties—including Chardonnay, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah/Shiraz, Riesling, Chenin Blanc, White Zinfandel and Red Zinfandel—as well as yeast.
The test isn’t designed to diagnose why someone feels unwell after drinking wine. Instead, it can help identify patterns worth exploring alongside other lifestyle and health factors.
In the clinic, I often meet people who believe they’ve become “intolerant to wine”. Once we investigate further, the picture is usually much more nuanced. Some appear to react more strongly to certain grape varieties, while for others, the real drivers are poor sleep, chronic stress, hormonal changes, or underlying gut health issues.
Having more personalised information can often make it easier to make informed choices, rather than relying on trial and error alone.
If wine regularly leaves you feeling dreadful
If you consistently feel far worse than the people around you after drinking wine, don’t ignore it.
A few simple steps can often make a noticeable difference:
- Keep a diary of the wines you drink and any symptoms that follow.
- Pay attention to whether particular grape varieties affect you more than others.
- Avoid drinking close to bedtime.
- Stay well hydrated.
- Eat before drinking alcohol.
- Prioritise good sleep.
- Support gut health with a varied, fibre-rich diet.
- Consider whether stress, hormonal changes or medication could be contributing.
- If you suspect specific ingredients may be involved, food intolerance testing may offer further insight.
If you’d rather avoid the after-effects
If you suspect alcohol is affecting your sleep or energy levels, you don’t necessarily have to stop drinking wine altogether. Alternating with alcohol-free wines can be a practical way to reduce your alcohol intake while still enjoying the social occasion.
Some alcohol-free options I like myself include Wild Life, Noughty and Zeno. If you’re looking to cut back on alcohol, they’re well worth trying.
If wine regularly leaves you feeling worse than everyone else after just a few glasses, it’s worth paying attention.
While alcohol itself is always part of the equation, it’s rarely the whole story. Sleep quality, stress, gut health, hormones and your body’s individual response to different grape varieties can all influence how you feel in the days that follow.
Rather than assuming wine simply doesn’t agree with you, try to understand the pattern. Whether that’s keeping a symptom diary, improving your sleep, experimenting with different wines or exploring food intolerance testing, having a clearer picture of what affects you can help you make informed choices and enjoy wine with greater confidence.
