"The wine varietals that participants tasted were Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc."
Stop right there.
They lost credibility when they performed the test with white wines.
But the study is bogus anyway. At a certain quality level, differences in appreciation are somewhat subjective. But if you toss me a glass of Two Buck Chuck versus, say, Chateau Montelena, I will be able to tell the difference in a heartbeat.