Why we prefer more expensive wines?

[bigkid]

Hi all. This is interesting:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/09/busin ... ref=slogin

Regards,

Allan

[Murray]

I can't access the site, but I presume it's the recent study results showing that people perceived that the wine with the greater price was better, even though the wines were the same.

When you look at the methodology from a wine appreciation point of view it is deeply flawed.

From the study paper:

In each trial 1ml of each liquid was delivered by means of a system of electronic syringe pumps (one for each liquid) positioned in the scanning control room.

These pumps transferred the liquids to the subjects via ~10 m polyethylene plastic tubes (6.4 mm diameter) and a perfusion manifold. The perfusion manifold allowed six incoming tubes to be connected to one output tube with a minimum of dead space to avoid the mixing of the wines.

The subjects were instructed to hold the output tube between their lips like a straw while they lied in a supine position in the scanner.

So, no smelling, no swirling, and 1 ml delivered through a straw to a subject lying on their back connected to a stack of wires. How is anyone going to make any sort of assessment of the wine?

This is a study about brain activity, not about wine.

[Craig(NZ)]

Funny, ive had several blind tastings over the years where my parents have been involved.

Basically every time without fail my father picks the most expensive wine as his favourite, my mother however picks the cheapest as her favourite

Cheap drunk and costly drunk??

[Bick]

This is a study about brain activity, not about wine.

I think its neither - its a study about the sociological pressure to be respected. Folk will say they like the more expensive wine becuase they think they'll look like philistines for preferring cheap plonk, when in fact they can't tell the difference.

[Daryl Douglas]

I feel really good about relatively (for me) expensive wines bought at significantly lower prices than rrp that I do really enjoy. Perhaps it's a variation on the theory. But when I can buy wines I wouldn't have bought at their regular prices and I really enjoy them............

The frontal lobes feeling rewarded?

daz

[Wayno]

Funny, ive had several blind tastings over the years where my parents have been involved.

Basically every time without fail my father picks the most expensive wine as his favourite, my mother however picks the cheapest as her favourite

Cheap drunk and costly drunk??

Lucky drunk and costly drunk.