The way wines are marketed I think it could be expected that...

The way wines are marketed I think it could be expected that taste would be the over riding desirable factor. From my limited experience I believe it runs a little deeper. Some favourites i understand impart those  special feelings of happiness and others grandeur that are unobtainable from other spirits. Certainly someone with a developed taste I expect would be able to recognise the subtle differences between their favourites and those they  consider to be lesser regardless of price. Mind you I would like to be a long way up in the world before I started giving some wines a lash considering the prices that keep going no matter how magisterial I may be.

Reminds me of the episode of Rake where at a restaurant a $19,000 bottle of red was ordered on the hosts account. (Unbeknown to the host of coarse)