The influence of the music on the taste of the wine

By TAL SHARON
Updated: SEPTEMBER 13, 2018 11:48
"Headphones tasting" of Galil Mountains Winery wines
At a meeting led by the Galilee Mountains Winery, we explored the influence of music on the taste of wine. An experiment of blind tasting of four glasses of wine while listening to four different songs and rating each wine. And the result? Surprising!
Some research has shown that music changes shopping decision of wines; German music increased purchases of German wines and French music of French wines. Some wineries go the extra mile to play music to their vines or aging wines. This article deals with the effect of music on the taste of wine.
Wine tasting with music (credit: Tal Sharon)
Wine tasting with music (credit: Tal Sharon)
Blind wine tasting with music "headphones tasting"
When we entered the private room in Par Derrier in Jaffa, a placemat with four numbered wine glasses and earphones awaited each one of us. There were four glasses of wine in front of us - one white and three red wines. We were asked to listen to the winery's playlist and rate the characteristics of each wine while listening: its complexity, suitability to venue, intensity and estimated price.
Glass number 1 (white wine) – Starting with a tasting without music. I rated the wine as relatively simple, light, suitable for a picnic, priced around NIS 33. After that, we did the same thing by listening to Marina Maximillian Hurricane. This time I felt the wine was better but had a longer finish. I have to admit though that I’m less of a white wine person.
Glass number 2 (red wine) - We tasted it while listening to Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know. I rated the wine similarly to the white wine, but it’s priced around NIS50.
Glass number 3 (red wine) - Tasted it while listening to Nouvelle Vague - Just Can not Get Enough. It felt like it was a better wine with a longer finish, but its priced around NIS 100. Some of the participants rated it higher than the wine in glass number 2.
Glass number 4 (red wine) - We tasted it while listening to Bob Marley - Is This Love. I rated it as rich, complex and powerful and with a long finish, suitable for a romantic meal in a restaurant, and it costs over NIS 100. Here the tasters were quite agreeable - this wine is good! Balanced with a long body and a long finish.
After the discussion the wines were exposed.
Glass number 1 – Avivim, contains 94% Chardonnay, 6% Viognier fermented in new French oak barrels and aged over yeast residues for 5 months.
Cup number 2 and glass number 3 (yes, same wine!) - Alon 2014, contains 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Syrah, 17% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot aged for a year in oak barrels.
Glass number 4 Meron 2015, contains 87% Syrah, 13% Petit Verdot, 8% Petit Verdot aged 16 months in French oak barrels.
We experienced firsthand how music affects the taste of wine. The conclusion: If we choose good music it can enhance the taste of the wine!
Wine tasting with music (credit: Tal Sharon)
Wine tasting with music (credit: Tal Sharon)
The Galil Mountains Winery
The Galil Mountains Winery was established at Yiron in 2000 by the partnership of Kibbutz Yiron and the Golan Heights Winery. The winery gives good value for the money and most of its wines are sold for less than NIS 100, although their quality is higher than what they are priced.
The Galilee Mountains Winery is sustainable. Beyond its ecological building, it has reduced watering and uses organic methods to raise the vines such as avoiding pesticides, fertilizing with Nespresso capsules residue and more.
Facebook: GalilMountainWinery, Kosher.