If someone told you that playing music in the background could change the way your wine tastes, you might be skeptical of such a claim. But that’s exactly what a fascinating study from psychologist Dr. Adrian North set out to explore, and the results are hard to dismiss. As it turns out, music doesn’t just affect how we feel; it affects our taste buds as well.
North’s experiment builds on previous research showing how music primes certain thoughts and behaviors in humans. In earlier studies, shoppers in a supermarket bought more French wine when French accordion music was playing, and more German wine when traditional German music was played, even though the customers weren’t consciously aware of the music’s origin. The implication was clear: music triggers associations in our minds that shape our behavior. But could it actually alter how something tastes?
To test this, Dr. North designed a study that linked specific songs with four taste descriptors: powerful and heavy, subtle and refined, zingy and refreshing, and mellow and soft. The question was simple: if someone listens to music that suggests a particular mood, will they describe the wine they’re drinking in a way that matches the music?
The Experiment
Two wines were selected for the study: a red Cabernet Sauvignon and a white Chardonnay. A total of 250 adult participants were recruited from a university campus. Each was offered a free 125ml glass of wine in exchange for providing their feedback. Participants were first asked to rinse their mouths with water and then they were brought into one of five rooms. Each room played one of four tracks (or no music at all) on a loop while the participant drank their wine.
The music was carefully chosen through a pilot study to match specific taste descriptors:
- Powerful and heavy: Carmina Burana by Carl Orff
- Subtle and refined: Waltz of the Flowers from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky
- Zingy and refreshing: Just Can’t Get Enough by Nouvelle Vague
- Mellow and soft: Slow Breakdown by Michael Brook
After finishing their wine, participants rated the drink on a 0–10 scale across each of the four characteristics. They also rated how much they liked the wine and how much they liked the music.
Music Changes Taste, Not Just Mood
The results were clear and consistent: the background music significantly influenced how participants described the taste of the wine. For example, white wine tasted 40% more “zingy and refreshing” when paired with the Nouvelle Vague track than it did in the silent control condition. The red wine tasted 60% more “powerful and heavy” when accompanied by Carmina Burana. In every music condition, ratings of the wine aligned with the mood of the music. These effects weren’t subtle or anecdotal, they were statistically significant and repeatable.
Interestingly, although music shaped how the wine was described, it didn’t necessarily affect how much people liked it. Participants didn’t rate the wine as better or worse depending on the music. The music didn’t make the wine more appealing overall, it just changed what people thought it tasted like.
Why Does This Happen?
The explanation lies in the psychological concept of “priming.” When you hear a piece of music that evokes a certain feeling, such as power or elegance, it activates related ideas in your mind. Those ideas influence how you interpret other sensory input. So if you’re listening to something strong and dramatic, your brain is primed to interpret flavors as bolder or heavier. When you hear something light and playful, you may register a crispness or zing in the wine that you wouldn’t otherwise notice.
Another interesting detail is that music had a stronger influence on red wine than on white. That could be because most people are more familiar with white wine and therefore feel more confident when describing it. Red wine is often perceived as more complex or nuanced, which might make participants less certain in their judgment. That uncertainty opens the door for external cues, like music, to have a bigger impact.
What Wineries Are Doing About It
Some wineries are already intuitively using this knowledge. Cooley Bay Winery in Van Alstyne, Texas, is a great example. Their music selection is carefully built around setting a calm, elegant tone that enhances the wine, rather than distracts from it.
“As far as what we play here at Cooley Bay, we air more independent artists that lean towards a laid back and chill style—something that would work well along the poolside, or when relaxing at the beach,” said William Windlow, the owner. “Our goal with our music selection is to fill the ambient space with an environment of sophisticated decompression from the workday, life at home, or just to unwind for an hour or two. This way, our patrons can focus on excellent conversation with their friends and/or family, while enjoying a delicious beverage. No distractions, no unnecessary noise, and no overpowering events—just wine (and soon, beer!), good conversation, and a chill atmosphere.”
This aligns perfectly with Dr. North’s findings. By curating music that supports a mellow and refined mood, Cooley Bay isn’t just creating a better vibe, they’re positively influencing how guests perceive their wine.
What This Means for Wine Lovers
If you’re a casual drinker or even a seasoned enthusiast, this research opens up a new way to enjoy wine. The next time you pour a glass, the soundtrack might be just as important as the wine itself. Want to bring out the softness in a Pinot Noir? Play something mellow. Want your Shiraz to hit harder? Cue up a powerful orchestral track.
This isn’t about manipulating taste artificially, it’s about enhancing your perception intentionally. Music doesn’t change the chemistry of the wine. It changes you. Your mood, expectations, and your cognitive processing all individually shape how you experience what’s in the glass.
This also has practical implications for restaurants, tasting rooms, as well as retailers. The right playlist could subtly nudge customers toward certain impressions of a wine without changing a single thing about the product. That’s not trickery, it’s smart sensory design.
Don’t Just Taste, Listen
This study tells us how deeply connected our senses are. Taste isn’t just about your tongue; it’s shaped by sound, smell, sight, and memory. When you pair a sensory-rich product, such as wine, with a powerful emotional input like music, you create an experience that’s greater than the sum of its parts.
It also reminds us that the way we experience things is not fixed. A glass of wine, a song, or a moment in time are all dynamic, context-driven, and influenced by factors we often overlook. The music you play during dinner might not just set the mood. It might set the flavor as well.
So next time you’re uncorking a bottle, take a second to choose your soundtrack. The right notes in the background might just bring out the best notes in your glass.
Feel free to try the experiment for yourself using the links below!
Sources
Cooley Bay Winery. (n.d.). Cooley Bay Winery. https://www.cooleybay.com/
North, A. C. (2011). The effect of background music on the taste of wine. British Journal of Psychology, 103(3), 293-301. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-8295.2011.02072.x
