Wine tastes better if a winery is difficult to pronounce, according to new research.
In a study by Brock University professor, Dr Antonia Mantonakis, it found English-speaking wine consumers were more likely to buy wine from a winery with a difficult-to-pronounce name.
Participants also rated wine more highly in a blind tasting, and were prepared to pay more money for the same wine, if it had a name that was difficult to say in English.
Dr Mantonakis said: ”Wines associated with more difficult-to-pronounce names are associated with higher ratings.
‘Things that are difficult to pronounce are unfamiliar because they are usually rare,’ she added.
‘Perception of tastes are different if they are associated with a more disfluent winery name and that result is especially pronounced for high wine-knowledge participants.’
Mantonakis admitted the laboratory findings might not be reflected in wine purchases. ‘Whether these results would replicate in a more natural setting is something that we don’t know.’
Written by Rebecca Gibb
