I think this article is focusing on the high end of things. I personally had little difficulty distinguishing between a $5 wines and a $20 wine- that is, until I started to develop a taste for harsher drinks. (Now all wine, even the cheap stuff, tastes smooth as silk)
What do you mean by harsher drinks? I can (and do, fondly) drink whiskey straight but I can't get into the taste of red wine.
Scotch, IPAs, double IPAs, etc. I found cheap reds were mostly distinguished by thinly veiled alcohol content and bitterness, but the difference in bitterness between a good wine and a poor wine is much smaller than the difference between a poor wine and a glass of scotch.
As for not enjoying the taste, my tongue is not yours, but is your issue simply with the flavor? Or do you find it too bitter/alcoholic? If it was the former, that's a matter of taste. If it was the latter, I would indeed be surprised given your affection for whiskey.
What do you mean by harsher drinks? I can (and do, fondly) drink whiskey straight but I can't get into the taste of red wine.