WINE NEWS: Lighting Can Influence How Wine Tastes

January 04, 2010

A glass of red wine tastes better in red lighting rather than white, according to a recent study

Does red wine taste better if enjoyed under the same crimson-hued lighting? Yes, according to a recent survey conducted by researchers at the Institute of Psychology at Johannes Gutenberg University in Germany. The study concluded that background lighting in a room has an influence on how we taste wine. Several sub-surveys were conducted in which about 500 participants were asked how they liked a particular wine and how much they would pay for it. It was found that the same wine was rated higher when exposed to red or blue ambient light rather than green or white light. Participants were even willing to spend over one Euro more on a specific bottle of Riesling when it was offered in red instead of green light. The survey also showed that the test wine was perceived as being nearly 1.5 times sweeter in red light than in white or green light. Its fruitiness was also the most highly rated in red light. We've always known that red ambient lighting in bars creates a romantic mood, but who knew it could also make our vino taste better? Thankfully, we do our wine tastings here under neutral lighting.

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(Updated: 01/22/10 ET)

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