Does Expensive Wine Taste Better?

This is a question I frequently answer in a variety of ways that aren't as simple as "yes," though it is tempting to be that blunt. 

Taste is a highly personal thing, yet many wine consumers suspect that expensive wines are a scam designed to part them from their money. Similarly, some wine drinkers feel embarrassed if they like an inexpensive wine because it surely can't be "good" if it's affordable. 

The problem is that American wine drinkers are still learning to trust their instincts about wine in general. In many other retail settings, we boldly buy whatever our taste and budget dictate because we trust our knowledge base. My dad says "buy reliable used Japanese cars" because his experience makes him feel confident about vehicles, and he trusts he's getting good value.  He would never buy a car based on price alone. Similarly, my sister-in-law might pay more for brand-name jeans than I would because she values designer labels; to her, pricey denim is worth the cost even if the fabric is essentially the same.

That said, no one buys a Kia and expects it to drive like a BMW.  The same is true of wine: that three dollar bottle of wine just won't provide the same tasting experience as a lovingly-crafted, and hence, more expensive, bottle of artisanal wine. Match the wine to the experience is my motto. Casual spaghetti dinner at home on a Wednesday calls for casual spaghetti red wine. That same cheap bottle of red won't taste so good, though, if it's paired with expensive filet mignon, which has more nuanced flavors. One-dimensional wines provide one-dimensional experiences. More expensive wines tend to provide a far greater range of flavors and textures, just as more gourmet meals do.

Experiment to figure out what kind of wines you like. If you drink the same boring wine all the time, how can you ever expand your palate? If you discover you like wines from Chianti, for example, then you've discovered that you like the excellent sangiovese grape. And then, when the occasion and budget allow, you can experiment with more luxurious wines that also feature sangiovese, such as Brunello di Montalcinos. 

Ditto on white wines:  you know you like chardonnay, so experiment with chardonnays from around the world at different price-points. Have fun, and TRUST YOUR OWN TASTE. You don't need an expert to tell you what to drive or wear anymore than you need an expert to tell you what wines you should like. Ultimately, it's up to you to do some homework to educate your palate, and fotunately, this kind of homework is lots of fun.