Tasting Wine Cost vs. Quality

I'm excited for the class! I've been interested in wine for about five years now, and I feel like I've accumulated a number of random factoids at various tasting rooms, restaurants, and Netflix specials. I'm interested in systematizing this knowledge, particularly around tasting. What is the "typicity" of different varietals, and what signposts should I look for if trying to identify a wine during a blind taste?

I'm also interested in understanding the wine ecosystem or economy in greater detail, particularly the local system of smaller growers here in California. There is a lot of quality wine that doesn't come from well-known brands like Mondavi or Silver Oak. I'd like to know which local players are innovating wine production or consumption, and hopefully try them out! I want to better understand how the process of winemaking drives quality, rather than simply looking to the price of wine or wine point scores. Finally, I would like to understand the components of operating a smaller winery – what is it that attracts and enables so many billionaire hobbyists to the art of winemaking?

Finally, I would like to better understand the economics of winemaking and the wine value chain. How much of the value of a typical wine bottle goes to grape growers vs. wine makers, bottlers, distributors, and retailers? How different is this for domestic vs. international wines? And, how much does aging wine add to its cost – and its quality?