Preferences aside, I have to say that objectively, beer is a more varied and complex beverage than wine, and that was the point being made...
BTW, I'm not saying any of this to be argumentative (it's tough to know how something comes across)...
Absolutely not! You wrote from the viewpoint of someone who is a lot more knowledgeable than myself about beer, and likely also wine. Hence, I am taking this all in. Reading your description of the process of beer making, it is clear to me that a brewer has a lot more latitude, and also more knobs to tweak than a vintner does.
The beer brewer has a lot more ingredients in his repertoire. The combinations and variations as you described are nearly infinite. The vintner only has his grapes, yet the wine comes out tasting all different from vineyard to vineyard, and to the vintner's chagrin, from year to year.
A brewer's craft is somewhat like that of a chef. Any chef or homecook can buy similar ingredients, but how he puts the ingredients together in certain proportions, the degrees of doneness, and the cooking technique make the final dish different than the next guy's. And there's always that secret sauce.
Meanwhile, the vintner is at the mercy of the weather despite his terroir, hence he has good and bad years. There's a lot more chance involved. A bottle of wine of a good year can command an outrageous price. We do not see that with a bottle of beer, because the brewing process is controlled and repeatable.
An expensive vintage bottle of wine of a 3-digit price, let alone a 4-digit price, would be wasted on my palate. Heck, I have enough trouble justifying 2-digit bottles. However, seeing that people are willing to pay that much, I have to assume that these wines are really great for people who can appreciate them. And this is reinforced by my own experience with spirits.
Some people do not enjoy strong spirits. Most women don't. And even some men call my beloved drinks "gasoline" or "turpentine". That does not offend me anymore. But I have drunk enough to know what I like between two bottles of the same price range. And generally, a bottle in the higher price range does taste better, though one gets diminishing returns like anything else.
Thinking about this a bit more, I came up with a theory why I have a more aware taste regarding spirits, while I tend to be of a more casual attitude regarding beers and wines. I always drink spirits by themselves, and in a contemplative mood. The sipping drinks have the full attention of my taste and smell senses. With beers and wines, they are usually consumed during a meal. They complement the food, but that means they also have to compete with food for my attention. And usually with me, food wins!
I think I may need to be more attentive when I drink wine or beer to better appreciate them. But then, given my forgetfulness and my tendency to fall into the same old ruts, it is not likely I will become a wine or beer connaisseur. When I host, my guests and family are also more interested in the food than in the drinks. I guess we are all rubes.
PS. Regarding that bottle of Chardonnay that I liked, when I rediscovered it at Walmart, I did not buy it because now that I know where to find it I can buy it anytime, and I remembered that I still had quite a few bottles of white. At my rate of drinking perhaps 30 bottles of red for 1 white, it is going to take a long time to drink up my existing white bottles, and they may be going bad already. But I definitely will try this bottle again, and to see if I am now prejudiced, and not finding it as good as I did the 1st time.
PPS. I would not have the patience to be a vintner. I thought about brewing for a few minutes, and decided against that too. I like cooking the best, because of the instant gratification and that minor corrections can be made up to the last minute.
