Breaking Wine’s Biggest Myth: Taste Is Not Objective

For centuries, the wine industry has operated under an unspoken rule: taste is universal. Winemakers, critics, and marketers have built an entire system around the idea that a wine can be defined by a set of fixed descriptors—flavours and aromas that every trained palate should perceive the same way. But what if that’s not true?

Katerina Axelsson, founder of Tastry, didn’t just create another product based on subjective tasting notes. Instead, she broke the very foundation of how wine is evaluated, marketed, and understood. Her work challenges the rigid belief that everyone should experience wine the same way.

The reality? Wine is not an objective product. Human perception is shaped by biology, culture, and experience, meaning no two people taste the same wine in the same way.

Yet, for decades, the industry has forced a narrow, standardized language onto consumers, making wine feel exclusive and intimidating. Axelsson’s breakthrough approach—combining chemistry, AI, and machine learning—proves that wine can be understood beyond traditional tasting notes.

By analysing the chemical makeup of wine and matching it with individual consumer preferences, she has shattered the notion that wine appreciation must conform to expert opinions.

This isn’t just a technological innovation; it’s a rebellion against the status quo. The industry has long catered to a small percentage of consumers while ignoring the 80% who don’t fit within the traditional tasting framework. By rejecting the one-size-fits-all model, Axelsson is proving that wine should be as diverse as the people who drink it.

So, if wine isn’t objective, why does the industry still act like it is? And if taste is personal, why is the industry so afraid to embrace individuality?

This conversation isn’t just about technology. It’s about dismantling outdated rules and giving wine back to the people.

It’s time to #rethink everything.

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