Nonexperts do not match descriptions above chance. Experts are able to rank more consistently on sweetness, balance and tannin. Nonexperts rank only on sweetness.
Descriptions can become more specific with training.
The gentleman who is discriminating about his wine shows a high specificity of perception, whereas the crude fellow who is not shows a low specificity. He has learned to taste and smell more of the qualities of wine, that is, he discriminates more of the variables of chemical stimulation. If he is a genuine connoisseur and not a fake, one combination of such variables can evoke a specific response of naming or identifying and another combination can evoke a different specific response. He can consistently apply nouns to the different fluids of a class and he can apply adjectives to the differences between the fluids. Motivation is critical to both learning and consistent attendance at tastings.