wine, price, brain scans and preference

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wine, price, brain scans and preference - 10/3/2008 2:38:33 PM

rbazinet

Posts: 190
Joined: 4/13/2008
From: Toronto, Ontario
Status: offline

For the hard core nerds in this forum and another reason for blind tastings:

I thought I would briefly summarize an interesting article in the Proceedings of the National Academies of Science, published a few months back. http://www.pnas.org/content/105/3/1050
If you can’t get the article, send me a private email.

Subjects were given 1 of 3 wines (A, B C), but they were told there were 5 different wines. Subjects were given 2 wines (A and B) twice and told that they were different wines with different prices: $5 or $45 for A, $10 or $90 for B and wine C was $35.

Now as predicted the subjects rated [liked] the wines they were told were more expensive higher. Nothing new here. But, the subjects were tasting the wines during an fMRI (brain activity scan). The “preference” area of the brain was more active when the subjects consumed the wine they “thought” was more expensive.

So … as opposed to suggesting that the subjects merely conformed to prefer the more expensive wine, the brain scan suggests that they really did perceived a better tasting product.

"Enjoy",

Richard

Post #: 1

RE: wine, price, brain scans and preference - 10/3/2008 2:57:38 PM

mcease

Posts: 29
Joined: 10/1/2008
From: Toronto, Canada
Status: offline

Wow pretty interesting. I wish I could tell myself that $5 bottle was worth $500 it would save me a lot of money and I would like what I was drinking

(in reply to rbazinet)

Post #: 2

RE: wine, price, brain scans and preference - 10/3/2008 3:13:34 PM

RoundersRob

Posts: 770
Joined: 7/1/2006
From: Santa Cruz, CA
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I think I read this as well, but they also mentioned that the people in the study had very little wine knowledge. It has been my experience that people with very little wine knowledge generally prefer simple cheap fruit forward wines with little character. Once they build up some "palate experience" and knowledge about what makes great wine great, they wouldn't make the same mistake.

Of course - I am not applying this logic without caveats. I've had many an expensive bottle of wine that shouldn't be priced higher then $10 and a few $10-$15 wines that could have easily sold for much much more. (In my opinion).

(in reply to mcease)

Post #: 3

RE: wine, price, brain scans and preference - 10/3/2008 3:42:46 PM

rbazinet

Posts: 190
Joined: 4/13/2008
From: Toronto, Ontario
Status: offline

Rob,
I agree with your point. I would like to see this study repeated with more “experienced” tasters. Actually, I would LOVE to see it repeated with Parker, Suckling, Robinson etc … as subjects. This could be a way to screen critics.

(in reply to RoundersRob)

Post #: 4

RE: wine, price, brain scans and preference - 10/3/2008 4:27:30 PM

RoundersRob

Posts: 770
Joined: 7/1/2006
From: Santa Cruz, CA
Status: offline

Try it with yourself first and see what you come up with.

(in reply to rbazinet)

Post #: 5

RE: wine, price, brain scans and preference - 10/3/2008 11:30:11 PM

Colonel Lawrence

Posts: 2093
Joined: 4/24/2006
From: Arabia
Status: offline

I guess it's similar to the phenomenum that placebo drugs have an effect.
More recently I believe they have research that shows that better packaged placebo's worker even better.
Now if only this could lead to health care savings which could be shifted to wine!
L.

(in reply to rbazinet)

Post #: 6

RE: wine, price, brain scans and preference - 10/4/2008 12:35:09 AM

pjaines

Posts: 937
Joined: 5/26/2008
From: London
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Slighty related is when I've done a semi blind tasting of wines I have never had before. We knew the wines (usually 6) and roughly the prices, but not which wine was which. When you are tasting a wine that could be $10 or could be $50 then you will be surprised how well the cheaper wines hold up. Without that anchor of price then you have no preset judgement.

I always maintain a lot of people taste with their eyes and wallet, not their nose and taste buds.

_____________________________

-- Paul

(in reply to Colonel Lawrence)

Post #: 7

RE: wine, price, brain scans and preference - 10/4/2008 1:06:00 AM

NiklasW

Posts: 518
Joined: 10/13/2007
From: Finland
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Dunno, on the other hand, in our wine club we taste double blind (one designated person brings two wines of his/her choice), and it is quite easy to pick up the cheapies most of the time. No depth or complexity. And when good ones come through that are a bit more pricey, it is usually easy to taste and especially smell the quality. Not always mind you, but usually.

But pricey here means about 20 euros and cheapies about 10 euros...

(in reply to pjaines)

Post #: 8

RE: wine, price, brain scans and preference - 10/4/2008 5:39:19 AM

J2K

Posts: 444
Joined: 5/5/2008
From: Pittsburgh, PA- U.S.A.
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: NiklasW

No depth or complexity. And when good ones come through that are a bit more pricey, it is usually easy to taste and especially smell the quality. Not always mind you, but usually.

I agree. As my palate has developed I can now easily tell the cheap plonk just by smelling it and detecting that artificial scent in red wines. Still wrking on the whites.

(in reply to NiklasW)

Post #: 9