ICPS Paris Conference: The Psychology of Wine Tasting

In March, I enjoyed a day on a discussion panel at the International Convention of Psychological Science held at The Palais des Congrès de Paris. My fellow panalists were Charles Spence of the Univesrsty of Oxford, Maria Del Rosario Caballero Rodriguez, Profesora Titular De Universidad, Spain and Franck Ramage, head of the Wine Department at the Cordon Blue, Paris.

FROM THE CONFERENCE:

Objective: To create a “fun” but informative event where attendees could taste some wine, while also gaining a deeper insight in the field of wine appreciation and related psychological mechanisms from both scientific and professional perspectives. Featuring a short list of wines such as Château de France, which will also be available to conference attendees at the evening reception. 

Some of the key questions the panel will be addressing involve: Tasting is defined as a sensory examination and evaluation of wine. What are the different stages and what are the psychological mechanisms involved in these stages? We have all noticed in our daily life that wine tasting is a personal experience. Thus, the appreciation of a given wine may differ between people. How do wine makers take these individual differences in wine appreciation into account? What does science make of individual differences in wine tasting? Finally, are there cultural differences on the appreciation of wine? If so, how can we explain these differences?

Conference Abstract: “Drinking wine has been part of human culture since antiquity and many of its psychological effects are since well-known. Though the practice of wine tasting is ancient, modern science – and notably cognitive science – provided a deeper insight on psychological processes involved in wine tasting. In addition, professionals of wine use scientific insights to produce, present and advertise wine and an ever more complex and specialised terminology to describe wine tasting. The objective of this panel is to bring experts together from science, humanities and the professional wine world to discuss the current state-of-the-art in wine tasting "