Our [Insert wine] Doesn't Taste Like [Insert same wine]

I've heard it tons of times. Our [insert name of grape] doesn't taste like [insert name of same grape]. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

Before we get into that, I think the key here is what someone is trying to tell you. They are trying to say, for example, that their Chardonnay (or some other grape) doesn't taste like Chardonnay. They are trying to tell you that if you don't like Chardonnay, this is the  Chardonnay for you. 

To me, that is strange. Why would you feel the need to drink Chardonnay if you don't like Chardonny? Would you eat collard greens if you don't like collard greens? Suppose someone told you that their collard actually taste like tomatoes which you happen to love. Would that make you want to eat those collards? It might, but why would you buy them if you could just as easily buy tomatoes and not have to doctor them to taste like tomatoes?

Well, this was the story last week  I was looking on a wine list for a Rhone style red wine, but there was only one on the list and the bottle they had was corked. So, we were presented a Malbec as an idea with acclaim that went something like this: "I hate Malbec, but I really like this Malbec."

Well, suppose I want my Malbec to taste like Malbec. And, you only carry Malbecs that don't taste like Malbec. I don't think that is a great idea. If you want Malbec that tastes like Grenache, perhaps you should carry Grenache.

It's not just restaurants that do this, but wineries as well. I recall from an early visit to Napa one really snobby, well-regarded winery that we immediately hated because their idea of customer service was non-existent that their Chardonnay in their own words did not taste like Chardonnay. Therefore, it was the best Chardonnay in the whole valley.

Makes no sense to me. I like my wines to be expressions of the grape not of some outside influcence to make it taste like a different grape.