I’ve heard from someone who says he recently drank mulled wine on two occasions, and both times he broke out in a rash on his hands, face, neck and chest. He adds that he doesn’t have any allergies that he knows of.  “What is it in mulled wine that could cause this?”

This is a tough one for a couple of reasons. First of all, this person didn’t say if he’s a regular wine drinker or not.  Is mulled wine, which is a combination of red wine with various spices, served hot, his only experience with drinking wine?  If so, he could be reacting to the sulfites or tannins in the wine itself.  Sulfites in particular have been implicated in headaches and other negative reactions to drinking red wine; an allergic-type rash could certainly be one response. The only remedy, sad to say, is to give up drinking red wine.

On the other hand, if he has drunk red wine before without suffering a rash, then it is probably not the wine that is at the root of this problem.  Rather, one of the spices in the mulled wine would likely be the culprit.  The problem here is that mulled wine can be made by many different recipes, and there is no set list of spices or other ingredients that must be used.

That being said, we can note that one of the frequent ingredients in mulled wine is cardamom.  Cardamom is known to produce contact dermititis, a type of rash, from touching people’s skin. I would think that such a product might well cause a rash, in a cardamom-sensitive person, from being ingested.

Cloves are another fairly common ingredient in mulled wine. Cloves may cause contact dermitis (rash) as well, so we can’t rule them out in this instance, either. (Other often-found ingredients in mulled wine include sugar, honey or molasses, vodka and brandy.)

In the end, though, it’s hard to know what might be causing this person’s rash.  If he were willing to experiment, and knows exactly what was used in the mulled wine, he could try making several different batches, leaving out one ingredient each time. That way he could test, over and over, until he could identify when ingredients in the drink do and don’t cause his rash.

Are you hosting a dinner party for some close friends? If you are having a dinner party at home, you should see to it that you include some white wine in your menu. No, white wines are not inferior to red wines. In fact, some dry white wines taste a lot better than some types of red wines. To help you find the perfect white wine for you dinner guests, here are some things that you need to do.

Look For Wines That Are Fermented In Oak Barrels

According to experts, white wines that are fermented in oak barrels taste a lot better that those wines that are aged or fermented in oak chips or staves. Oak chips or staves are a lot cheaper to use that oak barrels so many wine makers often use these chips or staves to save money. Unfortunately, using oak chips or staves can alter the taste of the wine. Buyer’s discretion is advised while purchasing that type of wine which says it has oak influence or it has been matured in oak. There is a big difference in the taste of the white wine that is aged or fermented in oak barrel and a white wine that is matured or fermented in oak chips. If you want to get the best white wines for your guest, buy only those wines that are matured or fermented in oak barrels.

Now, if you are not so familiar about wine fermentation and aging, you need some help from a wine expert. No, you do not have to pay somebody to help you buy wines. The person on the wine shop counter can help you choose the right wines for your guest. People who work in the wine industry are well educated in this area so you might as well ask for their help.

Old World Versus New World Wine

Before you buy any types of wines for your dinner party, you need to get yourself acquainted with the taste of your guests. Remember that some people love wines with sweet fruity flavor while other prefers the more restrained taste. If your guests happen to be the types who prefer a more subdued taste in their wine, you should consider getting some of those old world white wines. Old world white wines are less fruity and sweet compared to new world wine. New world wines is suggested for the dinner party crowd which is liberal and youthful. Now, if you want to play it safe rather than risk dissatisfying anyone at your dinner table, you might as well get some old world and new world flavors.