Why Some People Taste Wine Better Than Others

When we explore why some people taste wine better than others, the answer often lies in biology rather than skill. Super tasters literally possess more taste buds than the average person, which affects how they perceive everything from everyday foods to wines. However, this sensitivity is something of a double-edged sword. Super tasters tend to be quite picky eaters, some find coffee and vegetables more bitter and spicy food hotter than usual. Similarly, their responsiveness predicts greater intensity of sensations elicited by alcoholic beverages, including astringency, bitterness and acidity in wines.

What makes some people taste wine better than others?

Our taste buds are as unique as our fingerprints, with no two sets being identical. The arrangement and composition of these tiny sensory organs fundamentally shape how we experience wine and other foods.

The role of taste bud density

The human tongue is wrapped in taste buds (fungiform papillae), which are small, mushroom-shaped bumps covered with taste receptors. These receptors bind to molecules from food and beverages, sending signals to our brain about what we’re consuming.

Taste bud density varies dramatically between individuals. Those with more densely crowded taste buds generally experience flavours more intensely.

Understanding taste phenotypes: non-taster vs taster vs supertaster

Based on taste sensitivity, people fall into three distinct categories:

Non-tasters (approximately 25% of the population) have fewer taste buds than average. These individuals often find many foods and drinks bland and may prefer bolder, more intensely flavoured wines to compensate.

How genetics influences taste perception

Approximately 25 genes contribute to building our taste receptors. One particularly influential gene is TAS2R38, often called “the bitter gene,” which significantly affects how we perceive bitterness in wine. These genetic variations create our unique taste fingerprints, explaining why you might love a Cabernet Sauvignon that makes your friend wince. Essentially, we’re all experiencing wine through different biological components.

How genetics influences taste perception

Approximately 25 genes contribute to building our taste receptors. One particularly influential gene is TAS2R38, often called “the bitter gene,” which significantly affects how we perceive bitterness in wine. These genetic variations create our unique taste fingerprints, explaining why you might love a Cabernet Sauvignon that makes your friend wince. Essentially, we’re all experiencing wine through different biological components.

How to find out your taste sensitivity

Curious about where you fall on the taste sensitivity spectrum? Discovering your tasting abilities involves scientific methods that range from simple paper tests to more complex imaging techniques.

1. PROP/PTC paper strip test

The journey to understanding taste sensitivity began in 1931 when chemist Arthur Fox accidentally released PTC (phenylthiocarbamide) powder into the air. While his colleague complained of bitter dust, Fox tasted nothing, revealing the genetic basis of taste perception.

Today, PROP (6-n-propylthiouracil) and PTC paper strips offer reliable methods to identify your taster status:

1. Place the control strip on your tongue first
2. Rinse with water
3. Place the PROP/PTC strip on your tongue
4. Record your response: unbearable bitterness (supertaster), mild bitterness (taster), or nothing (non-taster)

These edible taste strips deliver PROP in fifth log steps, allowing for precise threshold determination. Studies showed that approximately 25% of people fall into each extreme category (supertaster or non-taster), with about 50% being average tasters.

2. Counting fungiform papillae

Another method involves counting fungiform papillae (FP), the mushroom-shaped structures housing taste receptors. Traditional techniques include:

• Manual counting: Scientists typically stain the tongue with blue food colouring, making FP to appear pink against blue-coated filiform papillae.
• Digital photography: This provides rapid acquisition of high-quality images for analysis.
• Automated methods: Recently developed computer algorithms can detect and quantify FP distribution across the anterior tongue in approximately 2 minutes, compared to 7 minutes for manual counting.

Where to get tested?

For professional assessment, the Burghart Taste Strips test offers multiple flavours and concentrations for comprehensive evaluation. Alternatively, create your own test at home using:

• Food colouring and a plastic ring-binder reinforcer for papillae counting.
• Commercial PROP/PTC strips are available from scientific supply companies.

The Denver Papillae Protocol provides standardised methods for researchers and serious enthusiasts. Studies show that people who are more sensitive to bitter taste typically have significantly more FP, approximately 34 compared to 24 for those less sensitive.

How taste sensitivity affects wine perception

Taste sensitivity directly impacts how we perceive wines‘ complex elements. Understanding these biological differences helps explain why friends might disagree so passionately about the same bottle.

Sensitivity to bitterness and tannins

Tannins create that mouth-drying, astringent sensation in wine by binding with proteins in our saliva. For tasting supertasters, this experience is significantly more intense, often making high-tannin red wines unbearably bitter. Indeed, about 25% of people have heightened sensitivity to bitterness, perceiving tannins as extremely bitter rather than pleasantly complex. These individuals typically detect phenolic bitterness (from tannins and polyphenols) much more strongly, which explains why that robust Cabernet Sauvignon might delight one person yet overwhelm another.

Alcohol burn and mouthfeel

Ethanol contributes substantially to wine’s sensory profile, primarily affecting bitterness, sweetness, and the infamous “burn” sensation. Notably, the intensity of these sensations depends on alcohol level, with bitterness being most prominent at typical wine concentrations (12-15%). Studies show that ethanol enhances body perception, increases chemical and woody notes, and decreases fruity aromas. 

Retronasal aroma perception

Approximately 80% of what we perceive as taste actually comes through smell. When wine enters our mouth, aroma compounds reach olfactory receptors through the retronasal passage during four key processes: breathing, enzymatic action, microbial activity, and absorption-resorption. Subsequently, saliva enzymes break down bound aroma compounds, releasing flavours that weren’t detectable when simply smelling the wine.

Why do some people prefer white over red wines?

The preference for white over red wines often stems from taste sensitivity differences. Supertasters frequently prefer whites because reds contain substantially higher tannin levels. Correspondingly, studies confirm that hypersensitive tasters tend to prefer sweeter, less tannic wines, whereas tolerant wine drinkers often crave bolder tannins and higher alcohol content. Additionally, beginners typically favour whites since they contain fewer astringent compounds and provide an easier entry point to wine appreciation.

Does being a supertaster make you a better wine taster?

Contrary to what you might expect, having more taste buds doesn’t necessarily make you better at wine tasting. In fact, for many supertasters, it can actually be a disadvantage.

Being a supertaster might sound advantageous, yet it’s often more of a liability for wine critics. Supertasters frequently report that alcohol leaves an unpleasant burning sensation in their mouths. Moreover, they tend to be hypersensitive to astringency and acidity, key components in many wines. 

The importance of training and experience

Fundamentally, detection thresholds for aromas in experts are generally not significantly different from those in non-experts. What sets skilled wine tasters apart is training, not biological sensitivity. Studies show that blind tasting training improves the ability to identify grape varieties, whilst five weeks of practice can enhance categorisation skills. Throughout this process, individuals learn to focus on relevant sensory cues against background noise.

Cultural and environmental influences on wine preferences

Environmental factors dramatically shape wine appreciation. Different regions and cultural backgrounds significantly affect how people describe and appreciate wines. For instance, studies comparing Spanish and Mexican populations revealed different wine preferences based on cultural exposure. Plus, many descriptors used in Western wine vocabulary don’t exist in traditional Chinese food systems, creating perception barriers.

Understanding wine taste perception certainly goes beyond simply counting taste buds. We’ve seen how biological factors create dramatically different tasting experiences from person to person. While supertasters might detect flavours with remarkable intensity, this heightened sensitivity often makes wine drinking less enjoyable rather than more refined.

Training and experience ultimately matter more than biological predisposition. Professional wine critics develop their skills through practice, knowledge building, and cultural exposure, not simply because they have more taste receptors. The ability to discern subtle notes in wine comes primarily from dedicated learning rather than genetic luck!