Make hangovers history

You don’t have to be teetotal to avoid a hangover. Follow our wine expert's tips and drink your way to a clear head

It’s happened to us all. You open your eyes the morning after a heavy night and the pain in your head and stomach tells you that you drank too much. So was it too much of the wrong thing, or just too much, full stop?

Of course, the best cure for a hangover is not to drink in the first place. But short of being teetotal, here’s how you can help yourself.

Drink water
One of the main reasons for a hangover is dehydration. Therefore, if you drink at least as much water as wine, you’re off to a good start. Lots of water just before going to bed is also a good plan. Eating while drinking massively reduces the absorption of alcohol, and milk really does line the stomach.

Do particular drinks or wines make it worse?
In essence, the answer to this is yes, but it varies from person to person. With wine, if people are particularly headache-prone, many will report that they suffer far worse headaches from red wines than white. This isn’t just anecdotal; there is a scientific reason - the headaches are caused by a reaction to certain chemical substances found in black grape skins. However, it doesn’t apply to everyone. Certain people are also particularly sensitive to sulphur dioxide, an anti-oxidising agent added to just about all wines in an attempt to keep them fresh.

Whilst all wines sold within the EU have a regulated maximum sulphur level, organic wine producers tend to use reduced levels of sulphur; so you could argue that drinking organic wine is less likely to give you a hangover. Sulphur smells like bad eggs and will often make the bridge of your nose itch.

While all this sounds a bit technical, a general rule of thumb (not infallible) is that the more palatable the wine, the less likely the hangover, although quantities drunk obviously affect this rule. My experience suggests (sadly) that more expensive wines tend to be less hangover-inducing. So, if you have a choice, drink less of a better quality wine.