Apparently, raising the price really does make the wine taste better. At least, that seems to be the result of a taste test. The part of the brain that reacts to a pleasant experience responded more strongly to pricey wines that cheap ones -- even when tasters were given the same vintage in disguise.

 

Antonio Rangel and colleagues at California Institute of Technology thought the perception that higher price means higher quality could influence people, so they decided to test the idea.

 

They asked 20 people to sample wine while undergoing functional MRIs of their brain activity. The subjects were told they were tasting five different Cabernet Sauvignons sold at different prices. However, there were actually only three wines sampled, two being offered twice, marked with different prices.

 

A $90 wine was provided marked with its real price and again marked $10, while another was presented at its real price of $5 and also marked $45.

 

The testers' brains showed more pleasure at the higher price than the lower one, even for the same wine, Rangel reports in the online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

 

In other words, changes in the price of the wine changed the actual pleasure the drinkers experienced, the researchers reported. By manipulating prices, 'We can change how wine tastes without changing the wine,' Rangel said. 'It's mind-blowing.'

 

On the other hand, when tasters didn't know any price comparisons, they rated the $5 wine as better than any of the others sampled....

 

FROM THE DOLCE VITA KITCHEN

Pasta with grapes, sausage & rosemary 

 

The first time I had grapes with pasta was at Cantinetta Antinori, the elegant restaurant in the Renaissance palazzo of the Antinori winemaking family in Florence. What seems strange in concept was completely convincing on the plate. Years later, I found the following recipe, which recreates its own magical blend of green grapes, sausage, and rosemary. 

 

PASTA WITH GRAPES SAUSAGE & ROSEMARY 

(Serves 2) 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2-3 springs rosemary

1/4 lb. each sweet and spicy ground Italian sausage

1/4 cup Italian white wine

1/4 cup Italian red wine

salt

1/2 lb. orecchiette pasta

20-30 seedless green grapes

freshly ground pepper 

 

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the olive oil.

 

Pick the rosemary leaves off the stem and add to the skillet. Reserve some of the rosemary leaves for garnish. Allow the rosemary to cook for 1 minute to release its aroma. Add the sausage and saute until it is well-browned all over, about 10 to 12 minutes.

 

Deglaze the pan with the wine: Add the white and red wines to the skillet, and bring to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat before adding the alcohol, then return the pan to the flame. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the flavorful bits of sausage on the bottom of the pan. (The deglazing process intensifies the flavor by incorporating those caramelized pieces of meat back into the sauce.)

 

When the water reaches a boil, add salt and the orecchiette. Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente and drain.

 

Add the grapes to the simmering sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the sauce begins to thciken, about 4 minutes.

 

Add the pasta to the simmering sauce. Cook everything together for another 2 minutes, then toss well. Serve the pasta in warm bowls and garnish with the reservered rosemary.  

Adapted from a recipe in Italian Cooking & Living

For more Italian recipes, go to Recipes on the Dolce Vita website.