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w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m J u l y - A u g 2 014 | V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T 2 3 "earthy" and "full-bodied" when listened to while a taster sipped a glass of merlot. Another trial published in the same journal split 200 participants into four groups and gave every- one a glass of wine. Each group listened to a different song of a separate musical style while drink- ing the wine. A fifth group enjoyed the wine without music. Tasters were asked to the judge the wine using descriptions researchers had used to classify the songs. The majority of tasters unknowingly described the wine in their glass with the same descriptors assigned to the song they heard. Professor Adrian North, who conducted the study, said that he thinks the results could "lead retail- sumed under red lights rather than under blue or white lights. This is leading scientists to think about the role of color and sound in new ways, and how they affect percep- tion of the taste of wine. There will be more information available soon on the impacts of color. In May, Spanish wine brand Campo Viejo sponsored the Campo Viejo Streets of Spain celebration in London, which attracted more than 2,000 consumers to participate in what was billed as the world's larg- est wine-tasting experiment. To test how the tasters' immediate surroundings affected their flavor perceptions, organizers had them sample wine in opaque glasses, while the participants were sur- rounded by pure colors and with v a r i o u s s o u n d s p l a y e d . T h e y were asked to rate how the flavor changed as the colors changed, and whether they preferred the wine depending on the color. Results have not yet been published. MUSIC NOT JUST FOR THE EARS Music also affects consumers when they taste wine. A study pub- lished in the British Journal of Psy- chology showed that wine could take on the attributes of the style of music that was being played during tastings. For example, the voice of singer Tom Jones playing while people tasted the wine was associated with adjectives such as ers to put music recommendations on wine bottles." Based on these results, what you play in the tasting room could also make a substantial difference to the way consumers perceive your wine and how much they are willing to purchase. The right kind of music could change a one-bottle sale into a three-bottle sale. Another study found that con- sumers purchased more wine in restaurants when classical music was being played. What music are you using in your tasting room, if any, and are you checking to see how it affects your customers? Of course, the first step is to know who your cus- tomers are and what type of music they would, mostly likely, appreci- ate. Try different styles of music at different times and make note of customers' comments about the wine. Also keep track of sales while different music is being played. There is a lot of new information emerging on this topic, and with that will come more specific ideas for what you can do in your tasting room to create a wine-buying envi- ronment. Stay tuned. Elizabeth Slater is the owner of In Short Direct Marketing, a direct marketing company that works with individual wineries and winery associations. Comments? Please e-mail us at feedback@vwmmedia.com. Changing the color of a room's lighting can inspire tasting room visitors to pay more for a wine. Photo: Thinkstock/PromesaArtStudio WINE WISE MARKETING ELIZABETH SLATER