Spanish neuroscientists claim low alcohol red wine produces more brain activity in ‘ taste processioning ’ areas , then stronger tipples . A stock image is shown . You might imagine that stronger wine would pack more of a punch in the flavour department . But Spanish neuroscientists claim that red wine with a low alcohol content produces more brain activity in ‘ taste processioning ’ areas , then stronger tipples . While the low alcohol bottles may not contain more flavour per se , people pay more attention to ‘ fruity bouquets ’ and ‘ woody notes ’ so the wine appears to be tastier . Neuroscientists led by Ram Frost , of the Basque centre of Cognition , Brain and Language in Donostia-San Sebastian , Spain , wrote in their study , published in the journal Plos One : ‘ Over the last few decades , wine makers have been producing wines with a higher alcohol content , assuming that they are more appreciated by consumers . ‘ To test this hypothesis , we used functional magnetic imaging to compare reactions of human subjects to different types of wine , focusing on brain regions critical for flavour processing and food reward. ’ They noted that 30 years ago , it was typical for red wines to contain around 12 per cent alcohol , while now quality tipples can be 15 per cent . This is because wine makers ‘ seem to… assume that strong wines are , on the average , more appreciated by wine consumers , ’ Dr Frost said , adding that they seem more intense , which is considered desirable by some foodies . To reveal that stronger wines aren ’ t necessarily better , his team measured the brain activity of 21 volunteers in a fMRI scanner . During the scan , the volunteers had the enviable task of sipping samples of different red wines where one was low alcohol and another stronger , but they tasted similar . The researchers measured the brain activity of 21 volunteers in a fMRI scanner while they sipped red wine . They found : Contrary to expectation , significantly greater activation was found for low-alcohol than for high-alcohol content wines in brain regions that are sensitive to taste intensity , including the insula as well as the cerebellum . An image from the study showing brain activity triggered by wine is shown . ‘ Contrary to expectation , significantly greater activation was found for low-alcohol than for high-alcohol content wines in brain regions that are sensitive to taste intensity , including the insula as well as the cerebellum ' , the researchers wrote . In fact , there was no part of the brain that responded more strongly to the more alcoholic wine , meaning that strong wines ‘ induce weaker activation relative to the low-alcohol content ones ’ . This may be because people paid more attention to the flavours of the less potent wine , even though they are not more flavourful themselves , Discover Magazine reported . The experts hypothesised : ‘ The low-alcohol content wines induced a greater attentional orienting and exploration of the sensory attributes of wines relatively to high-alcohol content wines. ’ Wine critics have previously said that New World , or high alcohol wines , often lack the finesse of less potent options , because the alcohol overpowers some of the more subtle aromas and flavours . ‘ The findings raise intriguing possibilities for objectively testing hypotheses regarding methods of producing a highly complex product such as wine , ’ the researchers wrote . Wine critics ( stock image ) have previously said that New World , or high alcohol wines often lack the finesse of less potent options , because the alcohol overpowers some of the more subtle aromas and flavours . Dozens of cheap and popular California wines are tainted with dangerously high levels of arsenic , claims a new lawsuit filed this week . Sutter Home , Korbel , Franzia and Trader Joe 's Charles Shaw White Zifandel , also known as 'Two-Buck Chuck , ' were just a few of the 31 wine brands the lawsuit claimed were unsafe . Twenty-eight California wineries were listed in the complaint , which is asking for a halt in production of the wines in question . A new lawsuit claims dozens of cheap and popular California Wine , including Franzia and Trader Joe 's Charles Shaw White Zifandel , are tainted with dangerously high levels of arsenic . The lawsuit was filed by four individual Southern California wine consumers who , according to their attorney Brian Kabateck , had 1,306 wines tested at a Denver-based laboratory and then confirmed results with two additional laboratories . Kabateck said 83 wines , almost all of which sell for below $ 10 a bottle , contained arsenic levels 10 parts per billion above the range considered safe for drinking water . The Environmental Protection Agency standard for drinking water is 10 parts per billion - meaning that the tests allegedly found arsenic levels that were double the federal drinking water standard . 'This is a very serious public health concern , ' Kabateck said . 'We would hope the wine industry would take these wines off the shelf immediately . ' 'If not voluntarily , we would ask the court to do it . '
Spanish neuroscientists gave volunteers samples of red wine to drink while they scanned their brains in an fMRI machine . One sample was low alcohol while the other was more potent . They found that weaker wine better stimulated areas of the brain that are sensitive to taste intensity , including the insula and cerebellum . Experts say the weaker wine may have tasted better because the volunteers paid more attention to the flavours than the stronger tipple .