Watermelons. Red and Yellow. Blind testing

I've read somewhere, once, that under certain conditions and blindfold, a number of professional sommeliers couldn't tell a white from a red wine.

It was probably on Stereophile, so it's easy to see why the thing came about...

MM,

i thought you eat mangos

Debs

To state the obvious, what it says about unblinded comparisons, such as when we power down our system and then add a Powerline, etc. etc., is at least as interesting.

They're actually sweeter. Same texture, just the color that's different.

I find that yellow tomatoes are much sweeter than red tomatoes.  Most red tomatoes cultured in the US have been genetically altered so as not to fully ripen in order to reduce spoilage and allow for mechanical harvesting within a specific time period.  This alteration in ripening has lead to a reduction in the sugar production and flavor of red tomatoes.  I think most tasters would prefer the taste and texture of a ripe yellow in a blind test.

Are watermelons undergoing the same fate?

grow a british tom called called gardens delight when ripe will wipe the floor will ANY

@Joerand: hierloom tomatoes, you mean?

@rich46: Let's see if I can get some seeds next time I'm over in England.

You are blind testing the wrong melons man.

I was referring to yellow tomatoes, but you're right, heirlooms have not been genetically altered.  They are like tomatoes were years ago; they'll ripen fully or unevenly, and will rot.  But they are higher in sugar and flavor.  That's why the few heirlooms you see in stores are so costly.  Remember, tomatoes should not be stored in the refrigerator .

This is a bit of a myth. It was a valid experiment that showed that some people (not professionals, although volunteers) when given a white wine dyed red started to use 'red wine' descriptions like redcurrant, blackcurrant etc, and not words associated with green or yellow fruit. No-one was blindfold.

As flavours don't, of themselves, have a colour, this is really not the same as 'couldn't tell white from red'. Some white wines are in fact made from black grapes.

Needless to say, the "couldn't tell white from red" angle - which is just about a legitimate interpretation, albeit a very misleading one - was the way in which a number of newspaper chose to write up what was otherwise a rather boring scientific paper (I read it), even though the results were interesting, but unsurprising. 

Of course a white wine dyed red does in fact become a red wine, just one where the colour has not come from grape skins, but dye.

We do indeed 'taste with our eyes' which is why it takes such a long time to first enjoy refried beans - If you've ever fed a cat anyway.