Can Music Make Your Merlot Taste Better?
"Playing a certain type of music can enhance the way wine tastes,
research by psychologists suggests. The Heriot Watt University study
found people rated the change in taste by up to 60% depending on the
melody heard."
Brain theory
Four types of music were played - Carmina Burana by Orff ("powerful and heavy"), Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky ("subtle and refined"), Just Can't Get Enough by Nouvelle Vague ("zingy and refreshing") and Slow Breakdown by Michael Brook ("mellow and soft")
The white wine was rated 40% more zingy and refreshing when that music was played, but only 26% more mellow and soft when music in that category was heard.
The red was altered 25% by mellow and fresh music, yet 60% by powerful and heavy music.
The results were put down to "cognitive priming theory", where the music sets up the brain to respond to the wine in a certain way.
"Wine manufacturers could recommend that while drinking a certain wine, you should listen to a certain sort of music," Prof North said.
The research was carried out for Chilean winemaker Aurelio Montes, who plays monastic chants to his maturing wines.
Music Recommendations:
Source: Montes Wines
