Sometimes we all have experiences where we develop a headache and you will do just about anything to make it go away. What is the best method? Has anyone tried wine? I never had given too much thought to it. But who hasn't heard of "The hair of the dog"?
During my morning web surfing I ran across a thread on the
Mark Squires Bulletin Board at eRobertParker today asking a question: Is Wine the Cure for a Lingering Headache? and I read it with interest as I have a guest in the valley tomorrow who is sensitive to sulfites (oh great!). As is usually the custom with this bulletin board, there were some insightful comments and suggestions, peppered with the nonsense of those who just want themselves heard.
On my way to work I took Highway 29 into St. Helena to mail something at the Post Office where I ran ito
Lisa Drinkward of Drinkward Peschon and Behrens & Hitchcock. She let me know that all of the fermentations were done so she was relieved to be through with punchdowns. I made my last stop at
Sunshine Market in St. Helena because I know it is the only place to pick up Illy pods for my espresso maker. My main complaint about Sunshine is that even though the "who's who" of Napa Valley shops there, they only have four checkout stands. so the lines back up and it becomes Friday morning social hour as you talk to your friend in the nest line who has finally got wines in barrel or is putting together the fall bocce team. Because I only had two items (I put back the new issue of
Food & Wine after reading the part of my friend,
David Phinney of Orin Swift Cellars being mentioned as one of the Top Innovators). His new Sauvignon Blanc project,
Veladora, gives 100% of the profits from sales to a fund supporting the farmworkers. This year he will contribute over $50,000. But enough for congratulating friends!
I was kind of in a hurry. My latest offer on Philip Togni went live last evening and Friday mornings there are always emails to answer related to the offer. The woman in front of me in line with the full grocery basket took pity on me with my handful of items and offered to let me go ahead of her. I was slipping into my chair at my office 3 minutes later when I realized something didn't feel right - I was coming down with a migraine which for me are un-predictable as to what triggers them and how often they come along. My first thought was take a couple aspirin for the pain that I knew was likely only minutes away.
What to wash them down with though? Here is a chance to experiment!! Well I had my choice, there was a bottle of water on my desk as well as an open bottle of 2004 Philip Togni. I thought to myself "Why not?" so I took the aspirin with the wine. Inmmediately therafter I went into my kitchen and made an espresso, (great for migraines) followed closely by another. I turned off the lights, locked the door, turned off the phone, laid down, closed my eyes and waited for the cattle to begin pounding through my head. To my surprise the symptoms started getting less and less noticeable and within 10 minutes I felt good as new, as a matter of fact, as I said in the Squires thread "It felt like I had gotten a brain transplant".
If you have ever had a migraine you know how totally excruciating they can be until they are over. Mine usually last about 3 hours but I hadn't had one in seven years. The fact that this one was over so quickly with such a refreshing result must have been a result of the sip of wine, or perhaps the mere suggestion that wine may play a part was enough for me. Whatever it was, it worked!
Has anyone else had a headache where a bit of wine helped? This is a purely un-scientific poll. But I would love to hear your stories.