Choosing Wines Now Honed to a Science

Discoblog
By Melissa Lafsky
Apr 30, 2008 7:07 PMNov 5, 2019 8:40 AM
wine.JPG

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

Ever wonder what spurred you to order that bottle of Chablis? As it turns out, researchers are hard at work deciphering the answer to your question. Brock University in Ontario has announced the opening of its Consumer Perception and Cognition Lab, which is touted by the Calgary Herald as the "first academic facility in North America dedicated exclusively to studying the link between consumer approval and wine's origins and flavours." The lab, led by consumer psychologist Antonia Mantonakis, will focus on how psychological factors like nostalgia, previous tastings, and prior brand exposure can determine the choice between red or white, Pinot Gris or Chardonnay, Bordeaux or Tuscany, and countless other oenophilic details. Using local volunteers in "simulated environments" (candlelit dinners for two?) Mantonakis and her team plan to study topics like how exposure to brands and brand-related cues indirectly influence wine choice, and whether those of us who choose based on the attractiveness of the label (or the total alcohol content) are in for disappointment. The end result, say the researchers, is to develop methods for predicting consumer preferences that will help wine producers tailor their products and packaging for maximizing sales. Which will no doubt go over well in California, but may be somewhat less popular in regions where the production, storage, and packaging of wine have been in place for centuries.

1 free article left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

1 free articleSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 Kalmbach Media Co.