Tasting mistakes

[amshih]

I went to a wine tasting last night and was totally embarrassed when I couldn't tell that a wine was ever-so-slightly corked. To me, it was nice but a bit flat, and I couldn't identify the flaw until our table requested a taste from a different bottle to compare. Of course, I had the good fortune to be seated across from some young wine snobs, so that added to my embarrassment.

Does fatigue affect perception? I was so out of it last night that everything I tried seemed to taste the same. I'm trying to be a "good wine student", but it's things like this that make me question whether I have the taste buds/nose for it!