What's in a label?

According to a survey by Aldi supermarkets and Oxford University, consumers have only two principal yardsticks when deciding which wine to buy: price and image. Surprisingly, the majority would be happy paying more for a heavier bottle. Yes, you read that right: regardless of the contents and environmental considerations, many drinkers would pay 40% more for a wine in a heavy bottle, under the impression the wine is better than one in a normal bottle.

Wine of the week

• Conde de Pazo 2023 [valor]

• Promoted as Spain's first wine with a label designed by AI, this red wine from the 125 year-old Marqués de Atrio bodega is made in the El Bierzo region, is vegan, and was launched this week Expected to sell for around 19 euros.

Overall, the researchers concluded that presentation is more important than quality. The inevitable consequence, according to the university, is that we spend thousands more in a lifetime than we really need to if we were just a little bit savvier and did our research before pushing out that supermarket trolley.

Oxford University's food psychologist, Professor Charles Spence, undertook the research. Spence said of the study: "Shoppers often use price as a factor in quality but this typical behaviour can end up costing thousands over a lifetime."

NOTE: Spain has some excellent design studios, all having moved into the AI camp and making no apologies for having done so. (See Wine of the Week.)