The Influence of Sound on the Perception of Flavour
How Auditory Context Shapes the Way We Judge Food and Drink
Sound plays an important role in how we interpret taste and aroma. Our sensory systems do not operate independently: the brain integrates information across senses, and auditory input can influence how gustatory and olfactory signals are processed. This interaction helps explain why the same food or drink can be perceived differently depending on the surrounding soundscape.
A well-established example comes from texture perception. The sound of biting into a crisp provides a reliable cue about freshness. When that sound is strong and clean, the brain interprets the crisp as fresher (and more enjoyable). When the sound is weakened or absent, the product often seems less fresh, even if the texture and formulation are unchanged. In this case, the auditory signal acts as a quality indicator that shapes the overall evaluation.
Background noise affects taste through a different mechanism. Loud environments increase cognitive load, which reduces the brain’s ability to process subtle gustatory and olfactory information. Quiet settings minimise this competition and make it easier to detect small variations in taste and aroma, which is one reason fine-dining environments often avoid intrusive background music.
The influence of music on wine perception is another example of cross-sensory interaction. Research shows that wine can be judged differently depending on the music being played, not because the wine changes but because the auditory context alters interpretation. This effect arises from what sensory scientists call crossmodal correspondences: consistent associations the brain makes between features across senses.
Qualities such as “bright,” “soft,” “sharp,” or “heavy” can describe both sound and taste, and these shared descriptors reflect underlying perceptual mappings. When someone listens to music with heavy, low-pitched characteristics, the brain may lean toward interpreting a wine as fuller or more robust. Lighter, higher-pitched music can shift perception toward freshness or delicacy. The sound primes a particular framework through which the sensory information from the wine is resolved.
Music also modifies arousal and attention. Energetic or loud music can increase arousal, sometimes biasing perception toward intensity, while softer music allows more focus on subtle details. This is why the same wine can be judged as more powerful during intense musical pieces and more delicate during lighter compositions. The liquid is unchanged; the auditory environment shifts the cognitive weighting of taste and aroma signals.
Understanding these mechanisms clarifies why sound, music, and noise can meaningfully influence how food and drink are perceived. The interactions do not depend on subjective interpretation alone but on the way the brain integrates information across sensory systems.
By recognising these effects, professionals in food, wine, and hospitality can shape environments that support more accurate or more intentional tasting experiences.