Oenophily

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A deep appreciation and love for wine encompasses the collection, tasting, and understanding of its various qualities and types
2. The enjoyment and study of wine, including its production, flavors, and cultural significance, reflects a passion for oenology
3. This term refers to a keen interest in wine culture, involving the evaluation, collection, and social aspects of wine enjoyment

Etymology: Oenophily is built from two Greek-derived parts. The first, "oeno-", comes from the Greek "oinos", meaning wine, the same root that gives English words like "oenology," the scientific study of wine. The second, "-phily," comes from the Greek "philia", meaning love or fondness, and appears in familiar words such as "bibliophile" and "Anglophile." Put together, the pieces describe a lover of wine in the most literal sense. Because the word is a modern combination of classical building blocks rather than an inherited term, it was assembled by writers and speakers in more recent centuries, long after the ancient Greeks had any use for it. The ancients had their own word for wine lovers' pleasures, but "oenophily" itself is a later coinage.