It’s as old as Bacchus and Socrates, and of prime importance to a few good folk since. The philosophy of wine is indeed a ‘thing’—and for Professor Barry Smith the pleasure is both cerebral and sensual. As with all bona fide philosophy, the journey of discovery begins with a paradox: how can a subjective experience like taste give us objective knowledge? Are our perceptions and senses a good guide to the external world, and IF it’s all a matter of taste, how do wine experts disagree?