“Taste—as in personal preference, discernment—is subjective. It's ephemeral, shaped by trends and fads. It's one part mouth and nose, two parts ego. Even flavors that professional evaluators agree are 'defects' can come to signify superior taste,” says Mary Roach in her new book, Gulp. “Because it's hard for people to gauge quality by flavor, they tend to gauge it by price. That's a mistake. Sue Langstaff has evaluated wine professionally for twenty years. In her opinion, the difference between a $500 bottle and one that costs $30 is largely hype.” (1)