Welcome to you for this tasting ! You knew the food and wine association, but do you know the very serious music and wine pairing ?

Wine lovers all agree : wine goes very well with food. A successful pairing enhances the taste of food and wine. However, there are pairings to be made with wine that are less obvious. This is the case of wine and music that can be paired. The style of music seems to influence our perceptions when we enjoy our glass of wine. It is therefore important not to destroy this moment bu choosing the wrong music with your glass of wine.

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A study to identify the influence of music on wine tasting

Published on the British Journal of Psychology, the study "The effects of background music on the taste of wine" was carried out by Scottish researchers including Professor Adrian North of Herriot-Watt University. The study demonstrates a relationship between the music you listen to and the taste of wine.

The experiment was carried out on 250 students. While tasting a red wine from the Cabernet Sauvignon grape and a Chilean white wine from the Chardonnay grape variety, they had to listen for fifteen minutes to one of the four songs selected for their great diversity in terms of genre, melody and rhythm.

Students were placed in different groups depending on the music they were going to listen to :

  1. Carmina Burana by Carl Orff : rather heavy and powerful music
  2. Tchaikovsky's Waltz of Flowers : a refined and subtle opera
  3. Just can’t Get Enough by Nouvelle Vague : a rhythmic and refreshing song
  4. Slow Breakdown by Michael Brook : rather soft and suave
  5. The last group did not have the right to music.

Participants had to say if they found the tasted wines rather "heavy and powerful", "Refined and subtle" etc. — the adjectives used to characterize the different musics —.

The result shows that music has a significant influence on the perceived taste of wine since guinea pigs have systematically qualified wine with the music they listened to. The same wine could be just as sweet, as subtle or heavy. The reason given by the study is quite simple " the results indicate that the symbolic function of an auditory stimulation can influence the perception of other modalities such as taste. […] Simpler, participants seem to taste the wine in a way consistent with musical connotations".

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A fairly obvious influence

This study only confirms what many wine lovers already know. How not to draw a parallel between the feelings provided by wine and music ? An ephemeral moment, fleeting that everyone can enjoy. Some analyze wine as a sheet of music, when others simply take advantage of this bliss. A wine tasting is punctuated by notions found in music : the attack, the power, the intensity, volume, the depth, aromatic notes, harmony, the final…

"And in your glass and mine. Let all thoughts dark. And that any memory of the past. Fades from our hearts. " Cosi fan tutte by Mozart

Every musical and oenological moment is different. A glass of wine does not always provide the same sensations, just like listening to music is never the same. Music and wine appeal to the emotions and memories of everyone.

"We have the best kitchen, the best wines and the best coitus of the creation, that is enough to make the difference” Frédéric Dard

The professor in charge of the study recommends listening to Tom Jones to best appreciate a Merlot. To add a little spice to a glass of Pinot Gris, it is recommended to listen to Lady Gaga's albums. And if you are a fan of Justin Bieber, either you are not old enough to drink wine, either you have to drink a lot of it to forget the music you like !

Read also -  Wine : What is a tastevin or tetevin ?

I can already imagine you asking me "Beaux-Vins, what music do you like to listen to with a glass of wine ? ". It is clear that I will not listen to the same music with everyone. In my opinion, the best musical styles to accompany a glass of wine are either a Soul vibe: Nina Simone, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Sam Smith or even Chet Faker, or a Trip Hop atmosphere. For a teasing evening - if you know what I mean - why not put the Fifty Shades of Gray album in the background ?

Jean-Nicolas Mouretin

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