This is going to sound like something you read in a wellness magazine, but stay with me. There is actual science behind the idea that music changes how wine tastes.

A researcher named Charles Spence at Oxford University has spent years studying how sound affects taste perception. His findings are pretty wild. Wine tasted in a room playing music scored as more powerful and heavier when the music was loud and intense. The same wine, in a quiet room, tasted lighter and more delicate. Same bottle. Same glass. Different sound. Different wine.

Another study out of Heriot-Watt University in Scotland asked participants to taste wine while listening to different genres of music. Red wines tasted more robust and full bodied during heavy rock. White wines came across as more refreshing and crisp during pop. Classical music made everything taste more sophisticated, which tracks with every dinner party you have ever been to.

The researchers called it “sonic seasoning.” Which is a phrase that should be on a Wandervine t-shirt someday.

So what does this mean for your glass?

It means the playlist matters as much as the pour. And it means pairing wine with music is not as crazy as it sounds. It is actually one of the more honest ways to think about what you want to drink right now.

Here is a rough guide based on the science and some personal experience:

Big reds — Cabernet, Syrah, Malbec
These wines want drama. Something with weight and presence. Classic rock, blues, or a deep jazz record. Think Led Zeppelin, BB King, Miles Davis on a dark night. The tannins and the bass frequencies have a lot in common.

Sparkling — Champagne, Cava, Prosecco
Bright, effervescent, celebratory. Pop, funk, anything with a groove. Beyoncé, Earth Wind and Fire, a good disco playlist. Bubbles and beats were made for each other.

Light reds — Pinot Noir, Gamay, Barbera
These are the wine equivalent of an indie folk record. Subtle, interesting, a little emotional. Bon Iver, Nick Drake, Sufjan Stevens. Pour a Burgundy and put on something quiet and you will understand what elegance means without anyone having to explain it.

Whites and rosé — Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, dry rosé
Fresh, energetic, made for afternoon drinking. Bossa nova, acoustic pop, something that sounds like a terrace in the sun. João Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, a playlist that makes you want to be somewhere warm.

Orange and natural wines
These wines are unpredictable in the best possible way. They need something that matches that energy. Experimental jazz, post punk, anything that sounds like it was made by someone who does not care what you think. Talking Heads, Fela Kuti, Radiohead on a strange afternoon.

The honest truth

The best pairing is the one that fits the moment you are actually in. Not the moment you planned. Not the playlist you curated. The one that is happening right now, with whatever is in your glass and whatever is playing.

That is actually why we built the music pairing feature in Wandervine. Not to give you a formula. To help you find the connection between what you are drinking and what you are feeling, which turns out to be the same thing.

Try it. Put something on. Pour something. Pay attention to what changes.

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Wandervine is coming soon to the App Store.
Music pairing is one of the features we are most excited about. Tell us what is playing when you find your perfect glass.

Where will wine take you?