If you are someone who drinks alcohol regularly, then you may have been told that you are not supposed to mix your alcohol with certain substances, such as prescription medications. At the same time, what is the relationship between wine and milk? Whether you drink red wine or white wine, does this impact whether you can consume milk with it? Take a look at a few commonly asked questions below, and learn more about the do’s and don’ts of drinking wine and milk. That way, you can get the most out of your wine-drinking experience.
Should You Consume Wine and Milk Together?
Before deciding if you can safely consume wine and milk together, it is important to take a closer look at what wine and milk are.
Wine is a fermented drink that is made from grapes. The alcohol level in wine can vary significantly, but it usually falls between eight and 14 percent. The characteristics of wine come from the grapes that are used to make it.
Commercial cow’s milk is made in a completely different manner that leads to a completely separate set of ingredients. It comes directly from the udders of cows, which are their breasts. Cow’s milk contains a variety of ingredients, including lactose (which is a sugar) and potassium caseinate. Casein is a white substance that is high in calcium, which is good for your bones.
Clearly, the effects of milk and wine are very different. Wine contains alcohol, which can lead to an altered mental status. Milk is a refreshing drink that will probably not lead to any side effects unless that is already spoiled or unless you are lactose intolerant.
Because the stomach reacts to both sets of ingredients differently, they are not necessarily bad for you, but it is important to explore what happens if you drink them both together.
What Happens When You Drink Red Wine Mixed with Milk?
There are certain drinks that are made using wine and milk. For example, there is a drink called Syllabub that is made using white wine mixed with milk, such as heavy cream. You could mix red wine and milk together as well. However, this is not done often.
Because red wine is so acidic, it will likely cause the milk to curdle on contact. Once the milk has curdled, you will probably not want to drink the mixture anymore. Curdling takes place when the acids in the wine react with the casein protein in the milk. This commonly happens when milk strikes something with a low pH, such as wine (which has a pH of around three or four, depending on the type of wine you drink).
How Long After Your Drink Alcohol Can You Drink Milk?
It depends on how much alcohol you are drinking, how strong the alcohol is, and how much milk you are planning on consuming. There is a good chance you can drink some milk immediately after drinking wine; however, you need to know how your body is reacting to the alcohol.
For example, if you have already consumed a lot of alcohol, you may be feeling a bit nauseous. In this case, you may want to stay away from milk for a little while.
On the other hand, if you only had one glass of Pinot Noir about 30 minutes ago, then it is probably okay to have a glass of milk. As always, you should start low and go slow. It would probably not be advisable to chug about a glass of milk immediately after having a few glasses of wine with a higher alcohol level. You could place too much stress on your GI system, which could cause you to feel nauseous.
Do Wine and Milk Curdle Your Stomach?
As mentioned above, the protein in milk will curdle when it hits something that is acidic, such as wine. This is the reason why mixing wine and milk together leads to a curdled beverage.
At the same time, mixing wine and milk together is not going to curdle your stomach. That is because your stomach is already a very acidic place. The pH of stomach acid is usually between 1 and 3. Therefore, milk is going to curdle when it hits your stomach regardless of how much wine you drink. As a result, if you feel nauseous after drinking wine and milk, it is not because of any sort of curdling reaction.
Even so, it is important for you to think carefully before you drink a bunch of wine and milk together. While the amount of wine you drink is not going to have any impact on how the milk reacts in your stomach, mixing wine and milk could still make you feel sick in certain situations. If you decide to drink wine and milk, you should do so in moderation until you get a feel for how your body will respond.
What About Mixing Wine and Cheese?
Of course, cheese is also made using milk products. There are plenty of people who pair wine and cheese together. Therefore, this is something that could work well for you. Typically, the cheeses that are paired with wine have been aged significantly. Therefore, they are very different from drinking straight milk that has been paired with wine. Wine and cheese will continue to be paired together for years to come, and this will probably not lead to any issues.
How Do You Drink Wine and Milk?
In the end, it is difficult to predict how the human body is going to react to mixing wine and milk. There are numerous types of wine out there, and everyone reacts to wine differently. Furthermore, some people are lactose intolerant while other people are not.
Nature has a way of telling us what mixes well and what doesn’t. They are for comment if you are going to drink wine and milk together, it is important to start low and go slow. Once you figure out how your body reacts to both beverages, you should have an easier time figuring out the limits of each.