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New study: We will drink no wine before it's overpriced

Posted Jan 15 2008, 02:23 PM by Karen Datko
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A recent study involving wine-tasting in California seems to confirm our worst fears about the power of marketing. Bloomberg.com reports that not only did volunteers overwhelmingly prefer wines they had been told were more expensive (when they weren't), but brain scans confirmed that they got more pleasure from the supposedly pricier wines. The Bloomberg headline seems appropriate: "Brain scans reveal secret to tastier wine: Jack up the prices."

People in the test group were occasional wine drinkers. The results were similar when people who are knowledgeable about wine participated. This gets even worse: In a follow-up to the experiment, most people picked the $5 wine as their favorite when they weren't told about cost.

Of course, bloggers had something to say about this. Catherine Shaffer at our partner blog Wise Bread said she at first thought the study was the devil's work, until she started polishing the enamel on her $5,000 range. She loves that stove, despite its frequent repairs. "Indeed, it is the Jaguar of ovens," she writes.

"If only there was a way to convince yourself you were drinking expensive, amazing wine without actually paying more for it," wrote those clever people at The Consumerist. "Maybe that's why everyone loves Costco so much." Danny G at AdPulp also chimed in: "I'm sure there's a bit of a wine snobbery in effect here, but there's an argument to be made that this principle extends across a whole range of products. Which is why attractive, elaborate packaging works well, too."

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Comments

 

"high prices of wine merely tells me "don't purchase this" well Sherman, I would like to have a glass of this family "wine" with you, then go cow tipping, perhaps race across state lines with a straw filled crate of your families "best bottles" driving a suped up orange charger, kick back relax and wait for the effects of lead poisoning. Serioulsy that is all you could think of saying....

Sherman, you missed some parts of Augusta, try again (Posted 01.16.08 7:30 PM ) Report Abuse

Perception is 9/10ths reality. If you think it's good wine (read expensive), it is. If you think it's crap, it is. I'm sure these tests did convince the testers that the expensive stuff was superior but in reality you can find some great wines at discount prices through trying them out. I think some people shy away from the cheaper wines because their perception is that if it's inexpensive it must not be good. Not always true! There are some discount California Cabs that are every bit as good as the pricey wines at less than half their price. You just have to be willing to give them a try. That's my opinion, for what it's worth.

TimS (Posted 01.16.08 7:59 PM ) Report Abuse

For those that haven't read the study, it wasn't really about cheap wine versus expensive wine.  One of the wines used was a great $90 bottle.  But the self-identified novices liked it much better when they were told it was $90 than $10.  And it wasn't just them saying they liked it better, the fMRI brain scans showed they liked it better.  Hince the straws...  It is really hard to drink from a wine glass while laying down in a MRI machine.  Nevertheless, both sips came from a straw, and it "tasted" different based on the prompting of the price.  

I'm sure the Caltech and Stanford grad students who were the tasters appreciate being called 'hobos.'  For those who think this is "garbage," I say Caltech's 32 Nobel Prizes would suggest otherwise.

A wine snob too (Posted 01.16.08 8:04 PM ) Report Abuse

Really enjoy the aroma and flavor of Frei Brothers merlot.  Sonoma County '05.  Cherry and dark berries, w/ a hint of vanilla...  awesome daily indulence.  Give it a try!

Patrick (Posted 01.16.08 9:15 PM ) Report Abuse

From a UK point of view:  I tend to drink (not very much) wine from the traditional winegrowing countries.  This is no disrespect to the Californian but I feel that I know that I will be getting a good bottle of plonk regularly.  I generally look for "20 - 25% off" or even "half price" which are available at most stores here. I will not pay more than $10 for a bottle. Marketing must make a huge difference to the price of some wines and I'm thinking here of Gallo and the Australian varieties.

When all is said and done, most wines taste good when served at the correct temperature and with a decent meal.

I was always of the opinion that corks were best however I now take the view that there is nothing wrong with caps and as a previous writer said it makes it easier to reseal for tomorrow.

Charlie, Scotland (Posted 01.16.08 9:48 PM ) Report Abuse

Very few wines in the $2-5 category should even be spoken of; much less, recommended. However, if you look at the offerings in the $10 range, there are so many you can't even scratch the surface to speak of just a dozen or so. The two-crap-chuck is a massive marketing gimmick that sends ripples to other states who don't have TJ in their area. Thank goodness for that, IMHO. Some of the other Bronco Wine products are decent at their price, of course. Take the Crane Lake petite sirah, for example. A good wine with great value at 5-6 bucks depending. On the other hand, how about the Italian blend Anarkos at about eleven dollars. Great value there. Or, from the other side of the world, the carmenere from Concho y Toro (Diablo). Also a wonderful bottle that fetches about ten dollars. The consumers demand: give us better value, not better prices!

Bill (Posted 01.16.08 11:32 PM ) Report Abuse

I really agree about the Trader Joe's "two buck Chuck", awful! However, you can buy some really drinkable wine for under $80.00 at Trader Joe's or at Fresh and Easy. Most from Fresh and Easy are capped. I am learning to love the cap! So easy to open and re-cap!

wine lover (Posted 04.16.09 5:42 PM ) Report Abuse

Meant to say under $8.00, not under $80.00!!!!

wine lover (Posted 04.16.09 5:44 PM ) Report Abuse

meant to say under $8.00, not under $80.00!!!!!

wine lover (Posted 04.16.09 5:45 PM ) Report Abuse

I work at a restuarant with a fairly extensive wine list. One night a group came in and ordered a $300 bottle of wine, but the server misheard them and mistakenly brought them a $30 bottle of wine. The guest hadn't noticed that the wine was not what they ordered, and had the server open and pour it for them. The guest drank the wine, and all through dinner complimented how great the wine was. When the bill came, the host of the party informed the server that she had made a mistake on the bill, and the wine was suppose to be $300. The server told them that no she had brought them a $30 bottle of wine. The guest and the server were both disappointed by the end.

Jim (Posted 06.18.09 12:34 PM ) Report Abuse

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