Study: Wine Tastes Better If You Think It's More Expensive
PHILADELPHIA (CBS)--A wine bar may cater to wine aficionados, but inside Tria on a Tuesday night, not everyone claims to be one.
"I'd say my knowledge very limited," admitted Austin Weitz of Philadelphia.
So, would you know the difference between a cheap bottle and one that's more expensive?
Turns out if you think it's more expensive, it will actually taste better. That's according to a new research study that found price tag influences our opinion of wine.
"That makes total sense. With a higher price tag, you think the quality is better," said Ann Drabick of South Philly.
Researchers found that a higher price tag increased the expectation that a product would taste better, which then affected taste processing regions in the brain. Something to do with the medial pre-frontal cortex and the ventral striatum.
"That's beyond my pay grade," joked Philly resident Claire Matson.
We'll take their word for it, but think it's worth mentioning all this research went down inside an MRI scanner, in which participants tasted the wine while lying down.
"Is that difficult to be horizontal and drinking wine?" asked Kristen Warnquist, celebrating her birthday at Tria.
"If I was in an MRI machine, I'd be like, 'they all taste the same.' Just get me out of here," said Jarred Phillips of South Jersey.
Read more on the study HERE.