The author claims that being able to distinguish expensive wines from cheap ones simply means that a person has developed an arbitrary preference drive by the wine industry. They article even explicitly states "wine is not art".
I don't buy this at all. Almost everyone can relate to some field where they have more sophisticated tastes than the average person, whether it's music, art, food or wine (EDIT: how could I forget coffee). By the author's logic, we should all eat McDonalds or Panda Express.
I'm not claiming that expensive wine is objectively better, but rather that people with experience and knowledge have a different taste to the average person, and this difference isn't just arbitrary, but reflects a deeper understanding and appreciation.
I don't buy this at all. Almost everyone can relate to some field where they have more sophisticated tastes than the average person, whether it's music, art, food or wine (EDIT: how could I forget coffee). By the author's logic, we should all eat McDonalds or Panda Express.
I'm not claiming that expensive wine is objectively better, but rather that people with experience and knowledge have a different taste to the average person, and this difference isn't just arbitrary, but reflects a deeper understanding and appreciation.