• Researchers have found that rats are able to differentiate between two white wines
  • A study showed that the rodents know the difference between a Sauvignon Blanc and a Riesling 
  • Rat fans went wild for the news on social media
Research has found that rats can differentiate between two white wines
Research has found that rats can differentiate between two white wines Credit: Imago

Rats may be part and parcel of city living – but would you share a bottle of wine with one?

In news that will challenge Ratatouille’s Remy – the animated Disney rat with incredible culinary talents – as the most cultured rodent in pop culture, researchers have found that a group of rats may have what it takes to train as sommeliers. 

In a study published in the Journal of Animal Cognition, research showed that rats successfully learned to discriminate between two types of white wine – a Sauvignon Blanc, or a Riesling.

Rats able to differentiate between Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling 

The study, conducted by researchers from multiple universities, involved training rats to associate different wine varieties with specific levers. 

The rats were then tested with both the training wines and new wines of the same varieties to see if they could generalize their learning.

The results showed that the rats were able to correctly identify the correct wine variety in a high percentage of cases, demonstrating their ability to discriminate between the two varieties. 

But if you’re looking for recommendations, the researchers did not explore whether the rats had a preference for either Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling.

Rat fans impressed by news  

The news hit social media – and rat-lovers worldwide went wild.

In a comments section littered with gifs of Ratatouille’s Remy, one fan joked that their preference, “Probably depends on what you pair it with ha ha ha.”

Another agreed, “It depends on the cheese pairing duhhhhh.”

Some hoped that the rats had appropriate tasting conditions. 

“Please say that they dressed them all formally and gave them itty bitty cheese platters,” one hoped, as someone else noted that “the taste preferences would probably be unique to the rat, its background, education, etc.” 

Others were relieved that a rat had “finally been put in a good situation”. 

“Rat after it’s 458th sip of wine: ‘Y’know, I shtill can’t tell which I like more. Lemme try the other one again,’” they laughed, commenting on the rats supposed drunkenness. 

Some lamented their lack of wine knowledge, and said, “Rats are smarter than me, I guess.”

“I’ve been outdone by a rat sommelier,” another frowned. 

And others simply needed to know their preference – stat. 

“Well you better find out what they like, you can’t leave us hanging like this!” they implored. Another said, “It’s imperative that we know, beyond any reasonable doubt, what’s their preference.” 

As long as it’s not a Shiraz… 

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Sophie Cockerham
Sophie Cockerham is a freelance journalist with more than seven years of experience. Her writing can be seen across titles such as Grazia, The Mail on Sunday, Femail, Metro, Stylist, RadioTimes.com, HuffPost, and the LadBible Group. Before starting her career, Sophie attended the University of Liverpool, where she studied English Language and Literature, before gaining her MA in Journalism on the NCTJ-accredited course at the University of Sheffield.
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