Drinkers think THIS makes wine taste better
THE sound of a cork popping makes people think wine tastes better, a study has revealed.
Wine drinkers believe their loved drink tastes better from a cork top rather than a screw top
Scientists found uncorking a bottle led to drinkers rating a wine up to 15 per cent higher than the same wine from a bottle with a screw cap.
The Oxford University experiment saw 140 participants asked to try two identical wines and rate them after hearing first a cork popping and then the twist of a screw cap.
They were then asked to open both bottles themselves and rate the wines again.
The results showed the perception of the drinks was influenced by the sound of the cork popping, with many rating the wine as better when it was served from a corked bottle.
Professor Charles Spence, from Oxford University’s Crossmodal Research Laboratory, said: “Our senses are intrinsically linked – what we hear, see and feel has a huge effect on what we taste.
Drinkers rated the taste of wine 15 per cent higher from a cork top
Martin Lewis reveals how you can save money on WINE
“The sound and sight of a cork being popped sets our expectations before the wine has even touched our lips, and these expectations then anchor our subsequent tasting experience.
“These results emphasise the importance of closures for wine, and the clear association between cork and quality in our subconscious.”
Wine with a cork was also rated as 20 per cent more appropriate for a celebration and 16 per cent more likely to create a celebratory mood.
Screw caps have become increasingly common in recent years, in part due to their convenience
Our senses are intrinsically linked – what we hear, see and feel has a huge effect on what we taste
The experiment suggests corked bottles will provide a more positive drinking experience.
Screw caps have become increasingly common in recent years, in part due to their convenience.
Some experts have also criticised corks due to the occurrence of the chemical compound TCA, which can cause wines to taste “corked”.
Wine with a cork was also rated as 20 per cent more appropriate for a celebration
But technological advances have brought the number of wines affected by the chemical down to between 0.8 to 1.2 per cent.
As such, winemakers across the world are choosing cork as their closure of choice, with seven out of 10 bottles now sealed with a cork.