Biologically driven differences in sensation: implications for the wine industry

Quantitative sensory data is typically collected with descriptive panels using participants who have undergone tens or hundreds of hours of training. Likewise, expert wine tasters spend years learning and perfecting their craft. However, it has also been known for over 80 years that individuals differ in their ability to taste certain chemicals, a phenomenon classically illustrated with the phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) taster/ non-taster phenotype. In 2003, the biology behind this difference was revealed, and subsequent research has shown that this is only one of many examples. Innate differences in sensation driven by biology have the potential to influence how wine is perceived. This paper provides a brief primer on a few of the mechanisms behind these differences, along with an overview of recent research directly relevant to wine. It will conclude with a brief discussion of implications for wine research and marketing, including biologically driven market segmentation.

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Work Title Biologically driven differences in sensation: implications for the wine industry
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Open Access
Creators
  1. J. E. Hayes
  2. A. A. Nolden
License In Copyright (Rights Reserved)
Work Type Conference Proceeding
Publication Date 2017
DOI doi:10.26207/jc5g-1870
Deposited May 06, 2024

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    Description
    • Quantitative sensory data is typically collected with descriptive panels using participants who have undergone tens or hundreds of hours of training. Likewise, expert wine tasters spend years learning and perfecting their craft. However, it has also been known for over 80 years that individuals differ in their ability to taste certain chemicals, a phenomenon classically illustrated with the phenylthiocarbamide (PTC) taster/ non-taster phenotype. In 2003, the biology behind this difference was revealed, and subsequent research has shown that this is only one of many examples. Innate differences in sensation driven by biology have the potential to influence how wine is perceived. This paper provides a brief primer on a few of the mechanisms behind these differences, along with an overview of recent research directly relevant to wine. It will conclude with a brief discussion of implications for wine research and marketing, including biologically driven market segmentation.
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    • 2017
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    • https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/
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    • John Hayes
    • J. E. Hayes
  • Added Creator A. A. Nolden