New research suggests that the type of music one listens to while drinking wine can dramatically affect the taste. Heriot Watt University psychology professor Adrian North tested 250 students and found that the taste changed by up to 60 percent depending on the vibe of the tune. In an earlier study, North determined that people were five times more inclined to purchase a French bottle instead of a German one if accordion music was being played. From the BBC News:
(In the latest study,) 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.
