It’s been a long time since I’ve enjoyed a good glass of fermented grape.
Mostly because I have the whole Pringles problem when it comes to firewater.
Although that sort of thing isn’t for me anymore, I can’t help but be reminded of it – coming from a family of wine lovers. Especially now, as the weather gets chillier, I think, “Ah, I bet they’re all switching from chardonnay to cabernet sauvignon…” And when my family does wine, they don’t go cheap. So, I wondered – what’s in a name? Are these posh pinot bottles really coming straight outta Italy or France or the best California vineyards?
Is a cheap grape by any other price, still just a cheap grape?
More importantly, what about vino made from bougie berries marinating in oak?
Ready your dissonant cognition, my wino friends. ‘cause science sought out a slew of sloshed subjects to see if they could discern the diff between two buck chuck and the good stuff you break out the big dollars for. You know, the kind you let sit on a rack and wait to open till one night when you’re entertaining and wanna impress friends with the backstory of where you traveled to get it.
Then they tested how good their expensive perception was.
(Yes, but are you sure it was a nice chianti?)
The results might ruffle your feathers if you fancy yourself a real connoisseur. Because in a double blind (that means neither the test givers nor takers knew what was really in the bottle) experiment that was done a few years back, wines ranging from a few all the way to a few hundred dollars, were mistaken for one another more often than not.
What’s more – they even went so far as to brain-scan the drinkers.
Time and again on their MRI’s, the people who thought they were glugging luxury wines into their gullet, also had their brains light up to confirm what they already were expecting to be true. This happened even as they sipped libations with the quality of what you’d enjoy on a nice evening with friends.
From a toilet. In prison.
I love experiments like these. Because I can imagine someone reading it while frowning and questioning whether anything they’ve ever paid for in their lives (that didn’t even alter their consciousness or bring them closer to friends or get them through a family holiday without killing anyone) – could have been attained at a better price. The whole “what we achieve to easily we esteem too lightly” only contradicts the takeaway of this study if your life-accomplishments are reduced solely to the attaining, maintaining, and boasting of the digital dollars you smile upon when checking your bank account and stocks. Right before going and buying a boat and waiting for people to notice how cool you look on it? So there you go. Your own brain is stealing money from your wallet – in more than the wine section.
As for me? As a sober chick, I’ll admit: I’ve been fantasizing with all this wine talk…
…how far those opulent prices would get me in Wegman’s not-fermented fruit section.
Not far – but my replacement addiction’s far better – and worth the mental thievery.
Especially as I overpay for what I hope is genuinely non GMO organic.
#whoknowsforsure