I don't think anyone with zero wine experience could tell the difference between a Burgundy and a Bordeaux. At the same time, I don't think there's anyone with

I don't think anyone with zero wine experience could tell the difference between a Burgundy and a Bordeaux. At the same time, I don't think there's anyone with a normally functioning nose and tongue that couldn't tell the difference with the right training. I think people are dismissive of wine because it carries a lot of socioeconomic baggage. If we were talking about beer, however, I doubt you would say you couldn't tell the difference between a stout and a pilsner or a really hoppy IPA and a lambic. Now, if you had never had any of those before, you'd need to learn the vocabulary and the flavors associated with them. Once you did you'd easily be able to detect and talk about the differences. Wine is no different. I imagine that someone pointing out a Bordeaux is either a Left Bank or Right Bank would either sound like BS or incredibility pretentious, but understanding what grape varieties dominate those two wine regions and how they influence the taste makes it pretty easy to tell them apart. Understanding wine isn't necessary for enjoying it, but for the most part it is necessary for being able to buy a wine in a shop or order one in a restaurant you're going to be happy with. Unfortunately wine is a mine field. Price and quality are loosely correlated and quality varies greatly from vineyard to vineyard -- even in the same region. It can also vary from year to year within the same vineyard. Unless you're an expert, the best wine is usually curated. Find someone who has wine as a hobby or find a shop that makes good recommendations and you'll really start to appreciate wine. There's something about good wine that really transcends a normal drinking session. Also, don't be shy about asking a shop for an inexpensive but good wine. In my experience the people who really know wine will always look for value and will probably spend less on average than someone who drinks wine to try to impress people.