When it comes to buying wine, a lot of us appreciate a tasty bottle that doesn’t break our budget. But when we do shell out more for vino, research shows our brains actually expect it to taste better.
According to a new study from the University of Bonn in Germany, when a bottle of wine costs more, our brains convince us we like it more. Researchers randomly labeled three bottles of wine $3, $7, or $21 and had 30 men and women taste them. They were all actually sipping the same $14 bottle of red, but the participants all said the “more expensive” bottles tasted better.
This study goes along with previous research from the University of Bonn and the INSEAD Business School, which found that pricing chocolates higher led to the expectation that the sweets would be tastier. University of Bonn professor Bernd Weber explains, “The reward and motivation system is activated more significantly with higher prices, and apparently increases the taste experience in this way.”
But you certainly don’t have to spend big bucks to get a good bottle of wine. This $6 bottle of Australian red won a double gold medal from a panel of wine experts, retail buyers, and industry insiders. And you can get this bottle of rosé that won a silver medal at the International Wine Challenge for $8 at Aldi. So just because it’s expensive doesn’t mean it tastes better.
Source: Moneyish