Wine Wednesday-White Wine, Acidity, and Heartburn.

Did you know that acid is one of the components of wine?  I did not realize that until I found articles on acid reflux and GERD exacerbated by wine.  No one wants to think about heartburn when enjoying a glass of wine, but sadly, this is a problem for many.  

Over the last few months, I have noticed that I have mild heartburn symptoms at night after one or two glasses of wine.  I drink white wine, and according to many experts, white wine is full of acid, more so than red wine.  This leads me to do some reading to find out what to do if we have this problem.

Water is considered neutral with an acid level of 7.  According to Unraveling Wine, the wine levels for wine are 3-4 on the acidity scale, with lemon juice being 2 and coffee being 5.  White wine tends to be more acidic than red, and the sweeter wines are even more so.

The list of the least acidic white wines according to Unraveling Wine are...

• Chardonnay
• Gewurztraminer
• Grenache Blanc
• Fiano
• Marsanne
• Roussanne
• Savvatiano
• Semillon
• Viognier, this is one of my favorite wines.
• Viura

Suggestions I found online that may help reduce symptoms if you have reflux issues related to wine...

• Limit yourself to one drink.  I usually limit myself to two glasses of wine.
• Avoid drinking 2-3 hours before bed.
• Sipping water with your wine will help neutralize your stomach acid.
• Eat when drinking wine.  If you have an empty stomach, wine can irritate your stomach.
• Antacids can help if you take one when you begin to feel heartburn.

So, in conclusion, I will still enjoy my glass of white wine, but I will be implementing the suggestions to help reduce heartburn as I do so. 

Happy Wine Sipping!

KathieyV:-)