The Judgment of Paris at 50: Wine, Wisdom, and What We Still Don’t Know

This month’s episode of the Harvard Data Science Review Podcast uncorks the fascinating intersection of wine, judgment, and data science. Economist and wine expert Orley Ashenfelter and Master of Wine Susan Lin join us to explore the enduring legacy of the 1976 “Judgment of Paris,” the blind tasting that reshaped perceptions of wine quality and transformed the global wine industry.  From statistical analysis of wine rankings to the psychology of taste perception, the conversation examines how experts evaluate wine and why even trained judges often disagree. Ashenfelter reflects on decades of wine tasting data and the role of probability, humility, and climate modeling in understanding wine quality, while Lin shares insights from her groundbreaking research on how music influences the perception of champagne. Together, they explore the complex relationship between sensory experience, human judgment, and data, revealing that wine may be as much about context, memory, and emotion as it is about chemistry and statistics. Our guests: Orley Ashenfelter is the Joseph Douglas Green 1895 Professor of Economics at Princeton University, transferred to emeritus status in 2024. Orley is known for his seminal research in labor economics, econometrics, and law and economics Susan R. Lin is a Master of Wine and a Master of Fine Arts in Classical Piano and Musicology. She creates memorable experiences through music and wine.