Where does oenophile come from?

The first recorded use of oenophile in English comes from the 1860s (when it was often spelled œnophile, using the combined character œ). Earlier forms of the word were used in French, which derived the word from Greek. It is formed from the Greek root oînos, meaning “wine,” and the suffix -phile, which is used to form nouns that mean “lover of,” as in bibliophile (book lover).

An oenophile usually has quite a bit of knowledge about wines. They’ll probably know how wine is made, which region a certain wine originates from, the best wine to pair with a particular food, and even which kind of glass is best to use for a specific type of wine. Perhaps above all, an oenophile loves the taste of wine and all its complexities—which they love to discuss. Have a question about the difference between a cab and a pinot? Ask an oenophile!