Wine causes heartburn, or does it?

Like all the important things in life and drinking wine is very important to some of us - there is no one or simple answer to this question. So, if you are reading this, you probably find yourself on the wine drinker side of the beverage fence and as I make a living from this most versatile of drinks, I am right beside you. This is by no means a study, but rather a report of personal experience and some careful reading - all to enable the continuous enjoyment of wine. Since I took the plunge into the world of wine in 2009, it has been a nonstop journey of tasting wines from across the variety spectrum and up and down different price points many times over. And, the one thing that stands proud is that a certain variety and a lower price point is mostly where heartburn resides. One can almost say this noble endeavour was undertaken in the name of health and science, but seriously, certain versions of our beloved Sauvignon blanc and some entry level white blends seemed to be most at fault, although not exclusively so. Why Sauvignon blanc? Well, Sauvignon blanc, besides having naturally high acidity, is also made to be fresh and brightly acidic, making it the perfect wine partner to fish, seafood or chicken. It’s the wine equivalent of that squeeze of lemon with your calamari. So acid is the problem? Yes and no. Not all acids are created equally and acid isn’t the only culprit. Acid reflux is the result of things gone wrong, and alcohol is mostly the reason why it went wrong. The wines from cool, Sauvignon blanc-favouring sites tend to have less alcohol and a softer, lemony, grape-derived acid. No problem here, whereas the ones from less favourable sites have lower natural acidity and higher alcohol, and need acid to be added during the wine-making process. Also fine, but if the winemaker is overzealous with the addition, acidity can go out of balance, leading to those “it tastes like vinegar” comments.

So how does heartburn come about?

1. You are adding more acid to your already acidic stomach;

2. Alcohol slows things down, so the acid hangs around for longer; and

3. Just like you relax when you are having an alcoholic drink, that little throat valve tasked with keeping your tummy contents from ever seeing sunlight again, also relaxes and a little acid can sneak back up.

How to keep drinking and smiling

• Dilute the wine by taking alternate sips of wine and water.

• Just add ice. Yes, that’s right - add ice. And to be perfectly honest, some whites are so concentrated and aromatic to start with, that a bit of ice serves to make them more approachable.

• Lastly, and by far my most favourite remedy: eat something to give those stomach juices something to do.

Some of the greatest food and wine moments I have experienced came about unexpectedly; even a bag of potato chips can find wine love.

So, next time when you are about to pour that second glass and an unexpected hunger pang washes over you, remember, that’s just you trying to help you, so listen.

Conrad de Wet sells wine for a living. This came about as a convenient consequence of constantly tasting his way towards the next great wine discovery, and then thinking and talking about it until no mystery regarding its greatness remains. He opens a bottle of wine with the same enthusiasm as a pre-schooler opens a birthday present. 082 683 4193 / dewet.wine@gmail.com / instagram: winebynature