From wine aficionados or connoisseurs, also known as oenophiles, or those who enjoy, love, appreciate and often collect wines. Their passionate approach to wine is an often disciplined approach aligned with a large measure of devotion. The Greek word oenphilia combines oinos, the greek word for wine, with philia, the greek word for a specific kind of love. The city of Philiadephia is known as the city of brotherly love. So an oenophile is one who has a deep affection and love for wine. The majority oenophiles are hobbyists who have a serious appreciation for collecting wines from certain or various regions, the variety of the grape and the methodology of production.

There are, however a minority of professional vintners, are employed in the production of wine by wine companies and wineries. Vintners coordinate with viticulturists, or those responsible for managing vineyards. Viticulturists monitor the plants for disease and pest attacks. They document the development of the fruit and control fertilization and irrigation. They maintain canopy management standards.They schedule the harvest and control the winter pruning of the vines. Professional vintners control the crushing of the fruit and the pressing process. They follow the juice through the processes of settling and fermentation, removal of the solid materials through filtering. They taste the wine and assess quality before the wine is stored and matured in casks or tanks. After maturation of the wine the professional vintner controls the bottling process and quality control once the bottling procedure is complete. Often the professional vintner has a degree in oenology or the science of wine due to the increasing accumulation and advancement of scientific knowledge in the industry.

Professional wine tasters follow traditions and utilize a system of methods that continue to evolve even after eight centuries. Many professional wine tasters are employed as sommeliers in fine restaurants and control all aspects of the acquisition, storage and serving of wine. Sommeliers also known as wine stewards have supplementary knowledge and information to assist management, educate wine waiters and assist customers of the restaurant.

Buyers for retailers have specialized knowledge of the wholesale and retail wine industry and are primarily responsible for obtaining quality wines at the lowest possible cost.

Thus wine amateurs and professionals shape and share a terminology used in the description of wines and their characteristic flavors and aromas.