Wine and music (III): so what if music influences the taste of the wine?

Abstract

A growing body of evidence, both anecdotal and scientifically rigorous, now points to the fact that what people taste when evaluating a wine, not to mention how much they enjoy the experience, can be influenced by the specifics of any music that happens to be playing at the same time. The question that we wish to address here is 'So what?' Why should anyone care that music (or, for that matter, specially composed soundscapes) exert(s) a crossmodal influence over the wine-tasting experience? 'Why not just drink great wine and forget about the music?' a sceptic might ask. Here, we outline a number of the uses that such research findings have been put to in the marketplace, in experiential events, in artistic performances, and in terms of furthering our theoretical understanding of those factors that influence the tasting experience. We also highlight how the latest in technology (think sensory apps and hyperdirectional loudspeakers, not to mention digitally augmented glassware) augurs well for those wanting to deliver the most stimulating, the most memorable, and certainly the most multisensory of tasting experiences in the years to come. Demonstrations of sound's influence on wine perception will most likely be applicable to a variety of other drinks and foods too. Ultimately, the argument is forwarded that there are many reasons, both theoretical and applied, as to why we should all care about the fact that what we listen to can change the sensory-discriminative, the descriptive, and the hedonic attributes of what we taste.

Wine and music (II): can you taste the music? Modulating the experience of wine through music and sound

“…More importantly (for the focus of this article), when participants tasted a beer while a matching sound (a tone at the pitch of harmony) was played, they reported a variety of sensational experience such as "outspoken delight, bodily harmony, and relaxation." Though getting to the bottom of that story will be the subject for another day (see [63]). …”

“…On the other hand, [48] however, one could also imagine "sweet" music to mute the tannic astringency in a young oaked Rioja, say (see [5], for evidence on this score; and see Clark Smith's [32] observations above). One could think of this in terms of "sonic seasoning" [63]. Thus, the key point to bear in mind here is that what we hear changes what we taste, whether that is a good or bad thing (i.e., leads to a better or worse tasting experience), depends both on the particular qualities of the wine that we happen to be tasting and our own particular wine predispositions.…”

Assessing the influence of music on wine perception among wine professionals

“…Over the last decade, a growing number of studies have started to address the question of whether what we hear can influence what we taste (see Knöferle & Spence, ; and Spence, ; for reviews). One of the major points of interest that has emerged from this body of research is the relationship between music and wine (North, ; Spence, ; Spence et al., ; ; Wang & Spence, ; see Spence & Wang, , , ; for reviews). Indeed, away from the rigors of the science laboratory, wine writers have long been tempted to compare specific wines to particular pieces of music.…”

Tune That Beer! Listening for the Pitch of Beer

“…For example, Holt-Hansen [4] reported some interesting sensations described by the participants when they heard frequencies that were not the ones chosen by them as the ideal match 4 Three participants reported stronger beers as higher in pitch. (think of watery, strong and bitter; see [29] for a review). In both of Holt-Hansen's [4,14] studies, the beer apparently tasted better at the "pitch of harmony" than when evaluated in silence.…”