Of course "flavor" also includes things in the nose i.e. olifactory system, and I'd guess that most things that people talk about with wine are happening there.

Of course "flavor" also includes things in the nose i.e. olifactory system, and I'd guess that most things that people talk about with wine are happening there. So yes, there are genetic differences that affect taste probably more than hearing, at least at the actual sensory organ. But the other thing to remember is that the brain is physical too, and can be subject to genetic differences. It's just that we probably understand how the tongue affects taste more than we can understand how the brain affects other preferences (including flavor)....because the brain is so ridiculously complicated and interconnected.