Riesling top grape among rockers

Rock music lovers go gaga for Riesling while classical music fans prefer a glass of Gewürztraminer according to a recent survey.

Guns ‘N’ Roses fans have been found to be partial to Riesling

The survey, carried out by D&D Wine, a new online shop from restaurant group D&D London, found lovers of Queen and Guns ‘N’ Roses were most partial to Riesling, while Sauvignon Blanc had a broad fan demographic, including lovers of ABBA, The Beatles, Rihanna and Katy Perry.

Questioning 2,000 adults, lovers of Bach, Mozart and Gershwin favoured aromatic white grape Gewürztraminer.

“‘Like rock, Riesling is a diverse and complex proposition and you can choose anything from a sweet to a dry style to suit your own personal taste,” said Julien Tessier, shop manager for D&D Wine.

“Riesling has high acidity so it has immense ageing potential, similar to rock artists who have stood the test of time.

D&D Wine’s Musical Wine Box launched in celebration of music and wine matching

“You could say that in a similar way to many rock stars, Riesling was badly behaved and had a bad reputation but it has been rehabilitated and made its comeback, bigger and better than ever,” he added.

Much has been made of the idea of music and wine matching of late. A 2008 study by Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh on behalf of Chilean producer Aurelio Montes found that music can affect perception in other senses and change the way wine tastes.

The research is based on the theory of cognitive priming, which holds that certain styles of music stimulate, or prime, certain parts of the brain.

When wine is tasted, these areas are already active and have a corresponding effect on our perceptions of taste.

The study found that when a powerful piece of music such as O Fortuna from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana is played, Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon was perceived as being 60% richer and more robust than when no music is heard.

Similarly, Montes Alpha Chardonnay seems 40% bolder and fresher when accompanied by pop music.

To celebrate the relationship between music and wine, D&D Wine has created a Musical Wine Box featuring playlists for the different grape varieties on offer.

The company will be hosting a series of wine and music matching events this autumn, beginning with the “Bordeauxlicious Silent Disco” on 12 September.