My Little Wine Experiment: Can You Tell the Difference?

I have been to several wine tastings in Buenos Aires.

After attending a tasting specifically for cheap wines, I got the idea to host a “blind” wine tasting.  Basically, you don’t know which wine you are drinking or how much it costs.  The goal of my little experiment was to see if people really can taste the difference between cheap, moderately priced, and expensive wines.  Plus, this was my chance to be a hostess and bring together friends, which I love doing.

Panel of Experts

Ayngelina didn’t really have an option, since she is my roommate.

Chance is an expat from the US who has been living here for four years.  He is an expert on all things Buenos Aires, and he is also the one who introduced me to wine tastings at 0800 Vino.

Rease is an expat from the US who has been living her for a year.  She is the hostess with the most-est, and I love attending her potlucks.  This was my chance to host her.

Jorge is an expat from Colombia.  Remember he is the one that made the most gluttonous night of my life possible.  I will always be indebted to him for this.

Chance learns his lesson about making funny faces when a blogger takes your photo.

All four were willing participants in my little experiment.

Food and wine are quite tempting.

The spread: cheese, crackers, bread, guacamole, hummus, carrots, apples.  (And yes, all of my friends in Buenos Aires have websites/ blogs.  Is that weird?)

The Wines

I purchased five wines with price points ranging from 13 pesos (US$3.25) to 65 pesos (US$16.25).  Yes, $16.25 is considered a somewhat expensive wine here.  I had everyone take notes as they tried each one, so we could compare which ones they liked after the unveiling of the wines.

I was shocked by the outcome.

The most popular two wines among the group were also the two cheapest wines.  Everyone hated the most expensive wine.  Here are the wines listed in order from cheapest to most expensive.

Finca Beltran Duo Malbec 2010 – 13 pesos

This captured the #1 spot for Jorge, Chance, and Ayngelina.

Rease works diligently on her wine tasting notes.

Estancia Mendoza Merlot Malbec 2010 – 13.50 pesos

This captured the #2 spot for Ayngelina and Jorge.  Chance said it tasted like “alcohol.” Maybe that’s why Ayngelina liked it so much

Callia Alta Shiraz Cabernet 2009 – 20 pesos

Ayngelina said this one “tastes like dry priciness.” She’s about as good at describing wine as I am.

Chance said this was his 2nd favorite wine, and he even guessed it was a Cabernet from the year 2009.  And he guessed the price at 19 pesos.  I think he might have sneaked a peak.

Sur de Los Andes Malbec 2008 – 36 pesos

Nobody was a big fan of this one.

St. Felicien Cabernet 2007 – 58.50 pesos

Rease said this one “tastes like shit” and “must be the cheapest.” It was really hard to stifle my laugh when she made this comment about THE MOST EXPENSIVE wine.

Ayngelina said she would be “embarrassed to serve it.”

Chance and Jorge both said, “no likey.”

Wow!  Harsh!

So which wines did I like?

I think maybe I am a wine snob after hearing what everyone else preferred. I really enjoyed the most expensive wine St. Felicien, as well as the medium priced Callia Alta.  I definitely felt there was a huge quality difference with the two cheapest wines.

But now I wonder….

If I was on the other side of this blind wine tasting and didn’t know the prices, would I still have felt the same?  Or is my opinion swayed by the fact that I knew the prices?

Has anyone conducted a similar experiment to see if our opinions are swayed by brand names and prices?

Do you prefer cheap wine or expensive wine?