Flavor perception of wine is unchanged during commercial flight: a comparative field study

Background: : It is generally accepted that the human perception of flavor and odor is altered in low-pressure environments such as airplane cabins. This has been demonstrated in several simulation studies, but never in a field study conducted in an authentic environment, and never using wine as the object of study. Methods: : We performed a comparative field study composed of two wine tastings. The first tasting was conducted on board an aircraft flying at standard cruising altitude and the second tasting was conducted at ground level. Subjective taste experience and current mood were evaluated through a validated questionnaire. The study was reported according to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guideline. Results: : The study included 22 participants, none of whom had any special training in wine tasting. No statistically significant difference in experienced flavor intensity was found between the high and low altitude tests, with median aromatic intensities of 5 (interquartile range 3.5-6.0) and 5 (interquartile range 4.0-6.5) respectively, measured on a 9-point hedonic scale. Additionally, there was no detectable difference in several other taste parameters. Conclusions: : These findings suggest that even though experimental studies have demonstrated that senses of taste and smell may be suppressed on commercial flights, the subjective wine tasting experience of non-professionals in real life testing may not be affected.