Michael Cooper
Wine writer·New Zealand Listener·
24 Sep, 2026 06:02 PM3 mins to read
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Wine nerds and geeks enjoy sprinkling their conversations with terms like “terroir”, “appellation” and “finish”. Photo / Getty Images
You are reading this column, so you probably enjoy wine. But is it possible that others view you not just as a wine enthusiast or wine lover, but as a wine geek, wine nerd, wine snob, or oenophile? What category do I fall into?
A survey in US magazine
Wine Spectator found most of its readers prefer the term “wine lover”. One respondent was especially offended “by people calling me a ‘wino’, and it is usually people who think that going wine tasting is an excuse to get drunk”.
How can you tell if you are a wine nerd or wine geek, rather than just a wine lover? One sure sign is if you are disappointed you were not born in a year that yielded truly great vintage reds in Bordeaux. (If you ever feel inclined to send me a bottle of claret to help celebrate a key anniversary of my birth year, I was born in 1961, 1970 or 1982.)
Another characteristic of wine nerds and geeks is that they can recite the names of numerous Burgundy grand crus but struggle to recall their phone number. Nerds and geeks also enjoy sprinkling their conversations with terms like “terroir”, “appellation” and “finish”.
Some wine writers are nerds. If you are a critic, keen to convince gullible wine enthusiasts you are an authoritative taster who can craft definitive assessments because you have a super-sensitive palate, would you describe a wine as “fragrant”, or would you babble on about “geranium”, “violet”, “linalool”, “rose” and “orange blossom”?
Still, wine reviews can be memorable. UK writer Malcolm Gluck declared he was tempted to describe an Australian shiraz “as having the aroma of a sumo wrestler’s jockstrap …”
Oenophiles are not suffering from a rare, ghastly disease. When Oenophilia, a BYO restaurant, opened in Manhattan in 1977, it placed a sign in the window. “Oenophilia 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.”
Another good thing about wine nerds is they are not snobs. Wine snobs focus on expensive labels and want you to know they drink them, as a reflection of their superior taste. Wine nerds are keen to learn, adventurous, always on the lookout for a good buy, and enjoy sharing their discoveries.
I’ll settle for that.
Wine of the week
Mount Riley Marlborough Pinot Gris 2025
★★★★
Bargain-priced, this mouthfilling, off-dry wine was grown in the Wairau Valley and tank-fermented. Showing good varietal character, it has lively acidity and very satisfying depth of fresh peach, pear and spice flavours. Best drinking mid-2027+. (13.5% alc/vol) $15
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