In the argument between the rabanan and acheirim in a case where 3 portions ofwater was put in and 3.5 was found, according to rabanan who treat it as water (as they hold that the lees does not absorb water and therefore we do not have the requiered ratio), if upon tasting it seems like good wine, would you separate maaser etc.?
This is more of a question according to rabbeinu yonah who says that the only reason it is not halachically wine is because the wate makes it have taam lifgam.
shmaya ormonde, london
[This response should not be construed as a Halachic ruling on the question. Rather, it is an exploration of the topic to help our readers become more familiar with the issues involved.]
The Magen Avraham (204:16) explicitly states that even if one holds that Ta'am k'Ikar is mid'Oraisa even to be lenient, we never say that the taste of less than one part wine to six parts water is considered wine. He reiterates that Ta'am k'Ikar is only a factor when there is more wine. The Machatzis ha'Shekel seems to understand the Magen Avraham's intent as that even if one were to think that it tastes like wine, he would be making a mistake.
Kol tuv,
Yaakov Montrose
[I hope this response has clarified the issue. For all practical questions on the issue, please consult your local Orthodox rabbi.]