You likely savor the experience of pairing wine with music, just as many of us do, often without a second thought. For wine enthusiasts, it’s widely believed that a fine wine becomes even more delightful when accompanied by music that uplifts and elevates the spirit, resonating with personal tastes. However, what many may not realize is that the fusion of music and wine has evolved into a serious science, with researchers uncovering standard pairings of aromas and sounds. For instance, the elegant notes of piano music serve as an exquisite accompaniment to red wines, while the airy tones of the flute harmonize beautifully with white wines. This basic understanding can inspire wine lovers to delve deeper into the enchanting world of these two noble passions.
Berries and the piano
As Harvey Steiman noted in Wine Spectator, many wine aficionados associate specific aromas with particular instruments from a classical orchestra. For example, soprano vocals, alongside violins and flutes, evoke the essence of dry chardonnay and sauvignon blanc. In contrast, mezzo-soprano and viola sounds conjure images of New World chardonnay and oak-aged white Bordeaux. According to Steiman, the cello resonates with the “aroma” of Pinot Noir or Grenache, while the double bass aligns with Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.
This connection is not merely fanciful; a 2011 study conducted at Oxford lends credence to this phenomenon. Researchers presented participants with 20 different aromas from a standard wine tasting kit. After inhaling each scent—ranging from crisp apple to delicate violet to smoky wood—volunteers were tasked with selecting one of 52 sounds that best reminded them of the aroma. The researchers were surprised by the strong consensus among participants regarding the relationship between aromas and sounds: sweet and sour scents were predominantly associated with higher-pitched sounds, while smoky and woody aromas correlated with lower tones. Interestingly, berries were reminiscent of the piano—an ideal pairing for Prokupac and Cabernet Sauvignon—while the aroma of musk evoked the sounds of trumpets, trombones, and horns.
Music’s impact on sales
What, then, is the precise influence of music on our senses beyond hearing? A straightforward illustration of sound’s impact on our cognitive processes is the distraction caused by noise: no one feels entirely at ease in a cacophonous environment. Conversely, the subtle effects of music on our emotional and intellectual states have been explored in numerous scientific studies, including the insightful research titled Wine & Song: The Effect of Background Music on the Taste of Wine by Dr. Adrian C. North. He posed the intriguing question of whether musical influences can affect our sense of taste. North discovered that music characterized by “heavy” tones and strong rhythms significantly increased references to richness and intensity among participants tasting wine while exposed to such music—by as much as 32%.
This and similar studies have sparked numerous initiatives aimed at enhancing wine sales through the strategic pairing of wine and music. In one supermarket experiment, classical music led to a notable increase in the sales of premium French wines compared to random contemporary songs, suggesting that the emotional resonance of wine and music together can stimulate a desire to purchase, even in the sterile atmosphere of a large retail space.
Research in this area will undoubtedly continue, with findings being applied in advertising, retail strategies, and wine criticism. Ultimately, these insights will guide us in discovering the perfect harmony of music and wine in our own homes, enriching our enjoyment of both.
