Wines come in thousands of variations based on variety, region, winemaker, etc. On top of that there are many things you do that will change a wine. Some of those might be more obvious like storage conditions, wine temperature, and the wine glass used. Others are less obvious.
Your State of Mind
There have been what you'd call informal and unscientific studies on how you perceive what goes in your mouth when in different mental states. This can be as simple as thinking about something you love vs. about someone you hate while sipping a wine. Ever notice how food and wines are usually remembered fondly when you're having a great time with great friends? It's about being in the right frame of mind to appreciate things--could be food, wine, music, a movie, etc.
Your Health
It's not just a plugged up nose that can ruin a glass of wine, but other health issues, too. There are taste and smell disorders. Your smell and taste deteriorate as you age. Medication may change your tastes.
Note that your sense of smell is much more sophisticated than taste. Taste buds pick up basic sensations such as salty, sweet, sour, bitter--things your ancestors needed to decide if something was safe to eat.
The Drinking Order
Let's say you had three glasses of wine, A, B and C. Let's say you decided glass C was your favorite followed by A with B your least favorite. If you had tasted these in a different order you may very well have ranked them differently. I once belonged to an informal wine tasting group and could prove this one time and time again.
This relates to the following item:
What You've Eaten and Drank Earlier
There may be some lingering tastes in your mouth from your coffee, brushing your teeth, or that salad you had for lunch. Or even that glass of wine you had earlier. Any of this can influence what you taste.
I once had a college-level Wine Judging class (yeah, homework load was terrible). Anyway, hearing from different judges about their rituals and those of others who judge wine professionally was interesting. One wouldn't eat or even brush his teeth the day of a judging. Another was a smoker and took smoke breaks between flights of wines. One ate raw roast beef to refresh their palate, others drank an IPA beer between flights.
I occasionally hear, "I loved this wine when I bought it (at a winery), but didn't like it as much when I got home." First thing I wonder is did they buy this at their fifth winery stop of the day then try it at home one afternoon before dinner? Yup, totally different experiences and settings.
First Sip vs. First Glass
Pay attention to your impressions after your first sip of a wine. Then about a half glass later do the same thought process and see how your opinion has changed. It probably will. Many wines are best on the first sip, others on the second glass. It's a rare one that totally wins you over both times. This has to do with acids, tannins and fruit.
Preconceptions
This often comes about when you have little experience with a certain wine, winery, or region. As example, you only had a couple Sangioveses in your life and didn't really like either. Now someone had just offered you a glass of Sangiovese. You're probably not going to approach this totally open-minded.
The Complete Meal
Ah, wine and food pairing, the great mystery. There's the white wine with white meat theory, then you add in, "Well, what about the sauce?" or "What about the spices?" Yes, there's all that and what about the side dishes? What goes with baked chicken doesn't necessarily go with green beans or fried potatoes with green pepper or curry rice. Spices, herbs and other additives all affect how a particular wine will taste.
Yeah, kind of makes my head hurt thinking about it. Maybe pick the wine first then the meal. Or as I do, pick a wine you like that's a semi-close match and just enjoy the complete meal.
Or No Meal
With or without food definitely changes a wine. Some wines will go better in one setting or the other.
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