This is a great discovery. Researchers reveal that Britons mistakenly believe wine is more delicious if it contains a chateau label.

  • Consumers ranked a £7 bottle more premium than a £95 bottle with a plain label
  • A study found that the most convincing thing about a photo of a chateau was its quality.
  • 25% believed that a cork rather than a screw was a sign of high quality. 










It might be hard to swallow for wine lovers who see price as a sign of quality.

But research shows a cheaper bottle of plonk can be rated more highly than an expensive brand – if it has a picture of a French chateau on the label.

In a new study consumers ranked a £7 bottle of Errazuriz Estate Pinot Noir, sold by Waitrose, featuring a picture of a chateau, as more premium than a £95 bottle of Clos Apalta 2013, sold by the Vivino website, with a plain label.

The joint study by Oxford University and supermarket giant Aldi involved wine tasting by 53 consumers and an online survey of more than 2,000 drinkers

Oxford University and Aldi supermarket chain conducted a joint study that involved wine tastings by 53 people and an online survey with more than 2000 drinkers.

They also preferred a £6.49 bottle of wine to one costing £36.99 during a blind taste test.

Oxford University and Aldi supermarket chain conducted a joint study that involved wine tastings by 53 people and an online survey with more than 2000 drinkers.

During the blind test, in which wines were smelt, tasted and rated, the £6.49 bottle of Aldi Australian Cabernet Sauvignon scored seven out of ten, but the £36.99 Majestic Escarpment ‘Pahi’ Pinot Noir got just five.

Consumers said they would be willing to pay an average of £9.97 for the cheaper bottle compared to £7.77 for the more expensive brand.

Consumers said they would pay almost 40 per cent more for wine from a heavy bottle compared to a light one

A majority of consumers said that they’d pay nearly 40% more to buy wine from heavy bottles than a lighter one.

The study found that a picture of a chateau on the label is most likely to convince shoppers the wine is premium quality – along with a heavier bottle.

A majority of consumers said that they’d pay nearly 40% more to buy wine from heavy bottles than if it was light.

25% believed that wine with a cork rather than a screw top was a sign of high quality.

Julie Ashfield, of Aldi UK, said that shoppers should ‘never judge a bottle of wine by its price’.

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