Oenophilia ( ;

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

) is a love ('' philia'') of

wine Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from fermented grapes. Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different varieties of grapes and strains of yeasts are m ...

('' oinos''). In the strictest sense, ''oenophilia'' describes a disciplined devotion to wine, accompanying strict traditions of consumption and appreciation. In a general sense however, ''oenophilia'' simply refers to the enjoyment of wine, often by laymen. Oenophiles are also known as ''wine aficionados'' or ''

connoisseur A connoisseur (French traditional, pre-1835, spelling of , from Middle-French , then meaning 'to be acquainted with' or 'to know somebody/something') is a person who has a great deal of knowledge about the fine arts; who is a keen appreciator o ...

s''. They are people who appreciate or collect wine, particularly

grape A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus '' Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters. The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years a ...

wines from certain

regions In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

, varietal types, or methods of manufacture. While most oenophiles are hobbyists, some may also be professionals like

vintner A winemaker or vintner is a person engaged in winemaking. They are generally employed by wineries or wine companies, where their work includes: *Cooperating with viticulturists *Monitoring the maturity of grapes to ensure their quality and to dete ...

sommelier A sommelier ( or or ; ), or wine steward, is a trained and knowledgeable wine professional, normally working in fine restaurants, who specializes in all aspects of wine service as well as wine and food pairing. The role of the wine steward in fin ...

s, wine merchants, or one who tastes and grades wines for a living. According to the ''

Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a co ...

'', the earliest occurrence of the word ''oenophile'' was in 1865 in ''Culture of the Vine and Wine Making'', an English translation of a French book by

Jules Guyot 250 px, Le Château Savigny-lès-Beaune, where Jules Guyot died in 1872 Dr. Jules Guyot (17 May 1807 – 31 March 1872) was a French physician and agronomist who was born in the commune of Gyé-sur-Seine in the department of Aube. Guyot studi ...

. The word ''oenophilia'' was initially primarily used in contexts of excessive drinking, and in its earliest occurrence in 1908, spelled ''oinophilia''. It became common in the wine lexicon in 1977 when Shirley Copperman used it for her new bring-your-own-wine restaurant she and her husband dubbed "Oenophilia", located on the upper West Side of Manhattan. A reviewer in a local paper, ''The Westsider'', wrote about the debut: "If the name suggests a rare disease you wouldn't want to catch, a sign in the window informs you that you may already have it. 'Oenophilia', it says, 'is an affliction of the senses characterized by intense cravings for good food and service and vintage wines served in a tasteful, comfortable setting at reasonable prices.'" The reviewer from ''The Village Voice'' wrote in 1977: "Oenophilia. No, not a social disease. It's the sensual orientation towards the pleasures of fine food and wine, and the name of a spiffy new bistro for elegant gourmandizing....'"Leslie Harlib, reviewer, The Village Voice, NYC 6/20/77, p.52

References

Wine terminology Hobbies {{wine-stub

See also

References