Professor Charles Spence, the head of a Unilever-funded lab, conducted a study to see if the use of a natural cork and a corkscrew caused people to rate a wine more highly. His method was to ask participants to rate a wine after hearing audio of a cork popping and after hearing audio of a screw top being removed. Participants preferred the wine when they heard the cork sound. Wine corks have been blamed for exposure to TCA, a chemical compound, but recent advances have limited the risk, and wine corks continue to be the most popular wine closure.

Key Takeaways:

• Wine makers across the country are reverting to the cork of the past.
• People claim that the sight of a cork sets an expectation for people who love wine.
• Wine is not just for taste, it is also a visual and audible experience.

“Participants tried and rated two identical wines after having being played the sound of a cork popping, and then again after having heard a screwcap being open. They were then asked to open the bottles and rate them again.”

Read more: https://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Article/2017/09/27/Put-a-cork-in-it-research-finds-the-sound-of-a-natural-cork-can-improve-perception-of-a-wine-s-taste