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"It has become quite a common proverb that in wine there is truth," wrote the 1st-century A.D. Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder. The truth about the word wine is that it goes back to Latin vinum, but it is also a distant relative of the Greek word for wine, which is oinos. Indeed, Latin borrowed from the Greek to create a combining form that means "wine," oeno-. Modern French speakers combined oeno- with -phile (Greek for "lover of") to create oenophile before we adopted it from them in the mid-1800s. Oenophiles are sure to know oenology (now more often spelled enology) as the science of wine making and oenologist (now more often enologist) for one versed in oenology.
Examples of oenophile in a Sentence
Sue Williamson, Vogue, 6 Aug. 2024
Home to hills and vineyards, Alsace is a stomping ground for oenophiles looking to sample silvaner, pinot noir and cremant, and foodies wanting to try coq au riesling, baeckeoffe (a hearty stew made with riesling) and baba au rhum.
—Michelle Tchea, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 July 2024
Discerning foodies and oenophiles are also drawn to the island’s top-tier food scene, which is highlighted during the St. Barts Gourmet Festival, a popular event taking place each November.
—Dan Koday, Travel + Leisure, 24 June 2024
Also of note is the fact that oenophiles are becoming younger and younger: Millennials made up 30 percent of all buyers in the auction.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 18 June 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Oenophile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/oenophile. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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