By: Angela Padgett
Ever splurge on a pricey bottle of wine for a special occasion? A new Penn State study shows it might not have been worth the extra cash.
Researchers found only wine experts can taste the subtle elements in expensive wine. Their study shows wine experts are 40 percent more sensitive to the taste than casual drinkers because of their training and experience.
Wine expert Lauren Tebeau is the manager of wine bar Gervais and Vine. She agrees the average person doesn't need to splurge on an expensive bottle for a quality taste.
"You can find plenty of stuff that's perfectly drinkable and great and pairs well with anything you're going to eat, or not for fifteen bucks," Tebeau says.
She says most people who say high priced wine is tastes better do not know what they are talking about.
"There are people who are pretentious enough that will only drink something of a certain cost or higher just because they think that is the only thing that is high quality," Tebeau says.
Frequent wine drinker Cyndi Hill says she still believes a pricier wine is still worth a few extra bucks.
"It's crisp. There's a better taste to it when it's more expensive," Hill says.
She also believes top shelf wine will leave her feeling better the day after she has had a few glasses.
"Yeah, I would think more expensive wine gives you less of a hangover," Hill says.
Tebeau says this idea is simply not true. She says any grocery store swill would produce the same day-after effects as a top-shelf buy.
She says it is not so much the quality of the wine that often makes a price higher but supply and demand.
"Especially if it's low production…there's going to be a huge demand for it so they can charge crazy prices for it and people will pay it," Tebeau says.
Hill says after hearing this study she will probably starting opting for the cheap stuff.
Wine Expert Lauren Tebeau at Gervais and Vine says even the most avid of wine drinkers won't be able to taste the difference between a pricey wine and grocery store swill.
