What Role Does Intellectual Ability Play in Understanding Wine?
A new study led by Maximilian Krolo of Saarland University and Professor Timothy S. Bates of the University of Edinburgh has found that a person's intelligence accounts for more than 9% of the variation in wine knowledge. The research, based on responses from 525 participants, looked at how cognitive skills affect someone's grasp of winemaking. It turned out that simply tasting wine on a regular basis, without any structured analysis, does not improve knowledge of the product. High intelligence, by contrast, seems to function as an independent force driving learning.
How the Experiment Was Designed
The experiment had two phases. During the first, participants completed the standard ICAR cognitive ability test, which measures verbal, matrix-based, and logical-mathematical reasoning. In the second phase, they answered 68 winemaking questions based on the international Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) curriculum. The researchers also factored in the participants' professional experience and personal wine preferences.
According to the results, people who scored higher on cognitive measures were better at organizing information and grasping cause-and-effect relationships, such as how climate influences grape acidity. This runs counter to the popular belief that regular tasting alone is enough to develop a deep knowledge of wine. Ordinary wine consumption, with no systematic analysis, does little to improve how effectively people absorb information.
The findings therefore underline the central role of intelligence in learning: a strong intellect can be a decisive factor even when there are no formal exams or material rewards. The study was published on August 26, 2026, and has the DOI 10.65550/001c.165719.
For wine educators, the results matter for how sommelier courses and winemaking training are designed. The study opens new avenues for understanding learning in oenology and highlights intelligence as a potentially critical asset in this field. Strong cognitive ability not only makes information easier to absorb; it also helps learners connect different facets of winemaking more deeply.