Meaning & use
wine aficionado
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
a person who knows a lot about wine and is very interested in it
Grammar: Countable; use 'a' or 'an' before it: 'He is a wine aficionado.'
Patterns
- a wine aficionado
- wine aficionados
- a wine aficionado who ...
My uncle is a wine aficionado who visits vineyards every summer.
As a wine aficionado, she can tell the difference between two similar reds.
The restaurant attracts wine aficionados from all over the city.
Word forms
| plural | wine aficionados |
|---|
Common combinations
- a serious wine aficionado
- He is a serious wine aficionado with a cellar full of rare bottles.
- a wine aficionado's choice
- This region is a wine aficionado's choice for a holiday.
- attract wine aficionados
- The wine fair attracts aficionados from across the country.
Synonyms and how they differ
- wine lover
- Wine lover is more common and less formal; it simply means someone who enjoys wine, without suggesting expert knowledge.
- oenophile
- Oenophile is a technical or literary term for a wine expert; it is much rarer than 'wine aficionado'.
- connoisseur
- Connoisseur can refer to an expert in any field, such as art or food, not just wine.
Word family
- aficionado noun
- a person who is very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about a subject
Commonly confused: wine aficionado or wine enthusiast?
wine aficionado vs wine enthusiast
Wine enthusiast is a close synonym but sounds a little less expert; 'aficionado' suggests deeper knowledge and passion.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'wine aficionado' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A singular countable noun phrase needs 'a': 'a wine aficionado'. Option B misses 'a'; option C uses the wrong preposition; option D uses the plural form with 'a'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wine aficionado”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.