Generalizations - do they help or hinder our wine tasting experience?

Despite the fact that I work in the wine industry, one of my favourite activities to do in my spare time is wine tour. It's an easily accessible, educational and leisurely pursuit to enjoy, and with 300 wineries to choose from within a few hours drive, it's convenient to say the least.

Recently I was in Lake Country, about a 30 minute drive north of Kelowna of which there are 7 local wineries to visit. Our first stop was Gray Monk, a staple in the Okanagan that has been around since 1972. They offer a wide array of styles of which their traditional method sparkling rose happens to be a standout for me at only $17 - a blend of pinot meunier, pinot noir and gamay. 

We were finishing up our tasting when some women strolled up beside us to begin their own, and I couldn't help but overhear them lamenting on the styles of wine they did - and did not - enjoy. They had some pretty wild opinions of which the following stood out for me:

"I don't like French wine, I don't like Italian wine - they all taste like dirt". 

Now before you accuse me of waxing my bourgeouis affectation - I really struggle with pigeon holing any one style. Variety is the spice of life, and beyond that - the wine world has become so incredibly homogenized arguments of this nature don't really hold much validity anymore. Can you really say of thousands of styles of wine from two completely different wine producing regions don't offer one style you enjoy? 

We find security in pigeon holing ourselves - it's safe, predictable and we know what to expect. It's also restrictive, and shuts off facets of ourselves that are not yet discovered. In most cases, curiosity and experimentation can result in surprising realizations and reactions, even a sense of security in knowing that taking a risk still meant you were OK - and still yourself.

What say you - are you guilty of any wine specific generalizations?