Do wine and champagne snobs
equate price with great taste?
If you drink a $150/bottle champagne do "you" (subconsciously) taste its greatness?
I've been to some of the "big name" Champagneries in Rheims and Epernay and after taking their tours gotten to taste some very good (not exceptional--you probably don't get this on a tour) Champagnes.
Is (say) Veuve Cl. at $75 a bottle 15x better than Andre's Extra Dry at $5 a bottle?
Marketing is everything in the wine biz.
That said, the centuries old tradition of wine tasting is still alive for a reason.