Doesn't it all come down to the fact that we're trying to bridge the gap between raw sensation and shared meaning? My old beagle would lose his mind over certain cheeses, not because of any nuanced flavor profile but just the sheer pungency, and that always reminded me that our fancy words are an attempt to climb out of that purely reactive state. Without that climb, we're just animals reacting to stimuli, and half the joy of wine or food is in the conversation it sparks.