Cornell-led study finds red wine colour shapes expectations more than enjoyment
In a test involving 82 regular red wine drinkers, colour strongly influenced anticipated enjoyment but was only a weak predictor of how much participants liked the wines after tasting.
A Cornell University-led study published in the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture examined whether the appearance of red wine predicts tasting enjoyment. Researchers asked 82 regular red wine drinkers to assess eight commercially available wines served without identification: 3 Pinot Noirs and 5 wines made from hybrid grape varieties.1
Participants first rated each wine’s colour and how much they expected to enjoy it, then tasted it and recorded their actual liking. More appealing colours produced higher expectations, but colour proved only a weak predictor of enjoyment after tasting.1
Visual rankings
According to Cornell’s press summary as reported by Vinetur, several hybrid wines were among the most visually appealing, alongside Pinot Noirs from Burgundy, Oregon and New York’s Finger Lakes. Lighter wines, or those with more yellow and brown tones, generally received lower appearance ratings and generated weaker expectations.1
A Finger Lakes Pinot Noir, a Tennessee Norton and a Corot Noir produced near Albany, New York, clustered near the bottom of the visual rankings. However, lower ratings for appearance did not reliably correspond to lower enjoyment after tasting.1
Possible relevance for hybrid wines
The findings indicate that visual impressions may present a marketing issue for paler red wines, including some wines made from interspecific hybrid grapes. Vinetur reports that such varieties are being explored for traits that, depending on the grape, can include tolerance of cold, heat or drought and resistance to some fungal diseases. The study itself, however, tested expectations and liking rather than market performance or climate adaptation.1
Sources
Written by the Dionysus editors from the sources above.
