Of course what drew me to wine was appreciating the flavor. But as I became more geographically aware (thanks to my Texas A&M degree in Geography), I appreciated more and more WHERE grapes are grown. My palate eventually matured enough (as well as taught to identify those flavors) to appreciate wines and connect their flavor characteristic with where the wine was made. Pairing, it turned out, often worked with foods from the same region. Sure it is the characteristic of that fruit itself but it would be affected by the “food” it consumes during its development. The minerals, the water, the air,
(Honey is another popular food that is commercially connected to the source of the nectar that was collected.)
But then I became more aware of the process. Visiting breweries and vineyards, you’ve seen one production, you’ve seen them all. The macro process for these products generally didn’t change much. The differences where on the micro scale (where they were produced, an ingredient added or removed) with any macro changes putting it in a different sub category all together. (champagne vs red)
Great book The Concise World Atlas of Wine