Never had a gooseberry, but I actually have licked a few wet rocks in my day (blame my mother for having a "rock garden" in our back yard and me being a highly inquisitive kid) and can confirm that it does not taste like any wine anyone would actually want to drink. I get it for the whimsy of wine speak, but I think we should be focusing on the textures, feelings, and experiences wine provides when we're talking about it instead of the taste.