Your taste buds can't tell the price...

Everyone knows that expensive wine tastes way better than cheap wine.

Wait, who made that rule? Last time I checked, wine tasted good if...wine tasted good. And now, there is FINALLY proof that your taste buds don't discriminate!

A 2008 study, released in the Journal of Wine Economics, revealed the truth behind the age old myth that expensive wine tastes better. The sample of more than 6,000 blind tastings revealed that the correlation between price and overall rating is small and negative. In essence, individuals on average enjoy more expensive wines slightly less.


The nonprobability sampling is based on a data set of over 6,175 observations of volunteer wine tasters in 17 blind tastings across the US. The price per bottle ranged from $1.65 to $150, the average retail prices were obtained from WineSearcher.com. The wine represents a variety of flavors, from red, white, rose, sparkling all from various countries. Participants of the wine study were aged 21 to 88 (I hope I am part of a wine study when I'm 88!)


So let's cut to the chase, and help cut away that high priced stigma. The every day average person unaware of price, will generally enjoy the taste of a less expensive wine more.


Why is it that people look at a $100 bottle of wine and assume it tastes delicious?? Hello marketing and public relations! Marketing provides a channel that consumers can be influenced by, according to Goldstein's article. We look at a pretty, swanky bottle made by a fancy winery and automatically assume it will inherently taste eons better than a bottle of $5 Crane Lake. If the company creates a great campaign- touting the beauty, taste and "cool" factor, we may decide it's worth the price.


Let's theorize.... let's say that the plain labeled bottle cost less to make, and therefore more money was spent on the inside of the bottle (aka, the wine!) Ta da! Here is another theory, who wants to be seen drinking from a $3 bottle of wine at a party? Probably not you.


Lastly, if Robert Parker (wine expert) prefers the $300 bottle of wine, then shouldn't we? He is the wine expert isn't he? One reason cited in the article, is that the average wine drinker doesn't like the same types of wine as experts.


If you can't see the price tag on a bottle, then you are more likely to enjoy a cheaper glass of wine. Next time you stop at a wine tasting, drink the wines without taking a glance at the price. You (and your wallet) will be happy you did!



p.s. These are my three "cheapest" favorite wines:
Frontera Cab/Merlot $5
Columbia Crest Merlot $7
Alice White $6


Close your eyes, they taste like a million bucks!

Cheers!

Genetically-Modified Rootstocks: Public Relations or Science?

In recent news, wine research and development has taken an innovative turn. The French National Institute for Argonomic Research planted vines as an experiment to fight off a virus that affects grapevines. The disease, spread by roundworms, reduces the amount of grape yields by almost 80 percent. The gene implanted in these grapevines was said to be resistant to the disease.

In every controversial research project there will no doubt be environmental or social groups ready to attack the experiments. Vive la Revolution! Attacks from a French environmental group known as Les Faucheurs Volontaires (The Voluntary Reapers) completely decimated an experimental vineyard in Colmar, France. And by decimated, I mean 1.2 million Euros ($1.56 million for you non-Europeans) and 7 years research worth of damage. They dug up and hacked apart about 70 vines on August 15th.

The research being conducted was a controversial topic for Europe, considering they were essentially creating gene sequences that could create disease-resistant faster growing vines.

If you are research and science minded, you are probably asking what the big deal is:

Well, according to Les Faucheurs Volontaires here is the "big deal":

GM Crops have not be sufficiently tested for safety, both in the field and into your glass. This could also disrupt eco-systems, and ruin plants that are unmodified. Lastly, it's a recipe for GLOBAL DOMINATION of agriculture. (I hope you shouted global domination! like I did)

So these self proclaimed reapers, activists from winegrowers in France and winemakers, question the validity of the research versus the public relations of corporations.

"The vines GMO (genetically modified organisms) field test was more of a sociological experiment, to see how far a profession and a population were willing to perform tests designed fo endorse the PGM" activist Jean-Pierre Frick says in Wine Spectator. Interestingly enough, a biologist and head researcher for the vineyard agrees that more research is necessary, though they have the key to fighting the pathogens now.

So as Public Relations professionals, do we agree that the Institute was overstepping the genetic boundaries, without completed research, in order to promote their own name? Is this a faulty public relations effort or an attempt to further wine science? We know that research is key in implementing any experiment, yet research also takes time. Yet isn't the point of "experimenting" to see what will actually happen? Let us not forget the ethics of this debacle, present in every good PR case. Do the ends (successful grape production on a large scale) justify the means (altering nature and disrupting the ecosystem)??

Here's my question to you:

What are YOUR feelings about the destruction of the GM rootstocks??
Is it a great idea to ruin the rootstock, do you somewhat agree, do you completely disagree, do you have no opinion?
Do you think the scientists are right in their research or terribly wrong?

All of these questions, and more, should be taken into consideration and could be turned into an interesting research project.

An activist reaping destruction

In a slightly comical note, the project was a taxpayer-funded research project. The activists are taxpayers, and believe that the French are overwhelmingly against the GMO project. Perhaps then, they should have objected to paying for this million euro project before it's creation??

Click here to learn more about a Non-GMO Project.

Wine & Weight. Let Happiness Ensue.

Drink wine and gain less weight? Sounds like a really bad gimmick, doesn't it?

Well, women who consume light to moderate wine actually experience less weight gain over time. Over 20,000 healthy middle aged women, studied over 20 years, were LESS likely to gain weight than non-drinkers. The link was strongest with the consumption of red wine! (Have you noticed that I enjoy red wine yet?)

The study, done by Dr Lu Wang from the division of preventive medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, is the first to tie alcohol consumption by a normal weight individual to potential weight gain or obesity. Women who didn't drink ANY alcohol, gained the most amount of weight overall. Therefore, it is completely fine for any woman with a normal, healthy lifestyle to drink wine moderately.

This longitudinal trend study is a great extended study over time that suggests something every woman wants to hear! One reason why women may gain less weight, is because of the substitution of alcohol for other potentially high-carbohydrate foods. What woman hasn't skipped the large side of mozzarella stick so that she can enjoy a large glass of wine instead. It sounds good at the time, and apparently works well over time too.

If you enjoy red wine, the benefits of drinking it just keep getting better! This study does its own public relations for red wine, once again touting the benefits. There is nothing better to help promote drinking red wine than some solid research based facts.

I wonder what wineries, wine distributors, and wine advocates will say about this latest study. No doubt, we will see it popping up in the marketing of red wines all over the world. I can picture myself buying a bottle with a POS (point of sale) hung on the bottle neck saying "DRINK RED WINE- LOOK GREAT" soon enough. Let's all keep a lookout and see how well this fairs in the already positive promotion of wines.

In the mood for some great, inexpensive red wines now?

Here are some delicious red wines for under $15:
2005 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot ($11)
2005 Raymond R Collection California Merlot ($15)

2006 Castle Rock Mendocino Pinot Noir ($12)

2006 Chalone Monterey County Pinot Noir ($14)
Feudo Monaci Primitivo ($5-$8)

Carpineto "Dogajolo" ($12)

Hawk Crest Cabernet Sauvignon ($14)
2005 Ravenswood Vintner’s Blend California Cabernet Sauvignon ($12)

2008 Cline Zinfandel ($11.49) --------->

** Check out some of my favorite reds **

Sit down, grab a bottle on nice pinot noir, and watch the video (guilt-free) here!
*Cheers*

No Wine-ing About It

My name is Rachelyn and I am a graduate student studying Public Relations at Quinnipiac University. This blog is all about WINE. Why wine? I have worked in and out of the liquor and wine industry for five years, and have become fascinated with every aspect. This blog will follow the wine industry through a public relations perspective. Like good cabernet sauvignon and cheese, this blog pairs public relations and wine perfectly.

You don't have to live in Napa Valley, California to be a part of the rapidly evolving and growing wine industry. Chances are most of you have sampled wine, whether local, national or foreign. While taking a sip of that sweet libation, most people don't stop to ponder its existence in society; from the vine through fermentation, marketing, distributing and back to their glass. Wineries are changing for the better, day by day. From marketing inexpensive (yet delicious) wines, to creating eco-conscience plastic bottles and caps, this is not the same stuffy old business that people once thought. Audiences are younger, there are more grape flavors than ever, packaging is becoming innovative and inventive, prices are decreasing, and interest is growing.


There are more than a few variables that can affect wine sales, distribution, promotion and reputation. I plan on examining many of these variables, as they relate to current trends and topics in the worldwide wine world! Many of these variables can be easily measured, in terms of crop production affected by weather or poor growth. The impact can be measured and viewed in various reports following the industry closely. Other variables can not be measured so easily, such as the marketing of certain wineries and the impact on consumers. Just like any other product, there is a business behind the bottle of wine you just uncorked (or unscrewed) just ready to be explored!