It's easier to appreciate and understand the tastes of red wines if you are familiar with the sorts of flavors normally associated with red wines. The flavors and aromas people identify in a red wine are not precise, because no one adds pepper, licorice, or leather to red wine while making it. Instead people identify flavors and aromas based on what they are reminded of while tasting the wine. This is why it helps to know what you might be looking for by being familiar with red wine flavors and aromas.