Understanding the Impact of a Label on the Sensory Experience of Wine

Branding research has shown that package design on wine is one of the most important factors in stimulating consumer choice and product trial but does the label impact the actual taste of the wine in the bottle? When a prospective wine drinker walks into a store, there may be hundreds or even thousands of different options available to choose from, all of which are variations of the same beverage – fermented grape juice. In this competitive environment, consumers may draw on past information, experiences, and sensory cues to help make a product selection. Darcen is currently exploring how culturally identifying with a wine label through visual sensory cues influences the perceived sensory taste of the wine. He has hosted sensory panels and preliminary research suggests that yes! we do taste our wine labels.

Research still in progress.