The art and science of wine tasting | Qian Janice Wang

April 7, 2026·16 min·1 clip

Science reveals why no two people taste wine the same way—complexity might be in your brain, not the glass.

Host Elise Hu introduces food scientist Qian Janice Wang, whose TED talk explores why no two people taste wine the same way. Wang opens by asking the audience to imagine tasting a wine and then confronts the vague but ubiquitous term 'complexity' used by wine critics. She notes that asking 10 wine professionals to define complexity produces 10 different answers. Wang introduces the Berlyne Curve from psychology, which shows that both too little and too much complexity reduce enjoyment, with a sweet spot in the middle. She uses original audio compositions to demonstrate static and dynamic complexity before applying these concepts to wine. Wang distinguishes between chemical complexity — what molecules are in the glass — and psychological complexity — what the drinker perceives. Her first study, conducted at the University of Oxford, used three single-variety red wines and three 50-50 blends from the same producer, presented blind to 80 participants ranging from novices to certified tasters. Contrary to expectations, participants overall could not reliably distinguish blends from single varieties. Surprisingly, novices performed better than experts at this task, though Wang acknowledges she does not know why. Blended wines were also not rated as more complex than single varieties, undermining the assumption that chemical complexity drives perceived complexity. The strongest predictor of complexity ratings was the presence of oak-associated flavors — vanilla, spice, and cinnamon — suggesting that oaking a wine leads people to perceive it as more complex and increases willingness to pay. Wang then introduces the concept of dynamic complexity: how flavors change over time in the mouth, as opposed to static complexity at any single moment. Her second study used Madeira wines aged 3, 10, and 20 years, served in black glasses to eliminate color as a cue, with 70 novices and 30 experts. Experts consistently rated older Madeiras as more complex in blind conditions, while novices showed only a slight, statistically insignificant upward trend. Wang also employed the T-CATA (Temporal Check-All-That-Apply) method, where participants ticked flavor descriptors every second while holding wine in their mouths for 30 seconds, continuing through the aftertaste. Experts could clearly differentiate the flavor evolution of the three aging groups, while novices experienced them as largely similar. Wang concludes that complexity is not just in the glass but in the mind of the drinker, and that expertise fundamentally changes the sensory experience of wine. She notes that unlike music, there is no evidence in wine research that too much complexity reduces preference. Her final message encourages listeners to slow down and pay attention to how flavors evolve over time when eating or drinking.

As heard by us

Wang's blind tasting finds beginners outscore trained palates at spotting blends, and stops short of explaining why.

Wang opens with a distinction most wine writing glosses over: chemical complexity belongs to the glass, psychological complexity belongs to the drinker.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

If you've ever suspected wine expertise is partly performance, this talk hands you data to think with.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from TED Talks Daily