Interesting how things seem to surface just as you have need of it.
I was going through a pile of clippings, both mine and what my sister has sent me. I found this from "The Week" magazine from December 17, 2010 --
<< WINE ALLERGIES EXPLAINED
About 8 percent of the population has an allergic reaction to wine, suffering congestion, headaches, or more severe symptoms like hives or breathing difficulties. Sulfites account for a small fraction of these allergies, but now scientists think they may have located the culprit in the vast majority of cases: glycoproteins, the sugary protein molecules that form as grapes ferment. Researchers in Denmark isolated 28 glycoproteins in an Italian Chardonnay and then broke them into tinier peptides that could be easily analyzed. They noticed remarkable similarities to known allergens found in latex, pears, and ragweed. "If these molecules are proven to be responsible for allergy in wine, then the winemakers will have a target to remove them," molecular biologist Giuseppe Palmisano, the study's lead author, tells MSNBC.com. But don't expect to see hypoallergenic wines anytime soon. The problematic proteins vary among grape varieties and may bring other, more desirable attributes to wines. Removing them would be difficult and expensive, Joe Vinson, a chemstry professor at the University of Scranton, tells AOLHealth.com. "You can't fuss around with every single grape."