Music and Wine

A researcher in England has concluded that the music we listen to while drinking wine can influence our perception of the taste. Adrian North, head of Applied Psychology at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh, claims that, based on the cognitive priming theory, the style of music one listens to while imbibing “primes” the brain to change how the wine tastes.

This article discussed the study, and here is an excerpt:

Professor North’s research showed that when a powerful, heavy piece of music such as Sweet Child O’ Mine by Guns ‘N’ Roses was played, people drinking a cabernet sauvignon thought it was 60 per cent more robust than when no music was played. The research could have implications, such as spelling the end of piped music in bars. It also raises interesting questions about music and food matching.

While I find that to be very interesting, I’ve usually considered it from the other way around. It always seems to me that what I am drinking influences what I listen to. To me, wine and Jazz go well together. Rock seems to be a beer thing. I listen to a lot of Blues, Reggae, and alt-Country, too, and they seem to pair with anything.

What do you listen to with wine?

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