I have often characterized Audiophiles like wine aficionados, more technically named Oenophiles.
The word Oenophilia did not exist in the wine lexicon until 1977 when Shirley Copperman coined it for her new bring-your-own-wine restaurant she and her husband dubbed "Oenophilia", located on the upper West Side of Manhattan. A reviewer in a local paper, The Westsider, wrote about the debut: "If the name suggests a rare disease you wouldn't want to catch, a sign in the window informs you that you may already have it. 'Oenophilia', it says, '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.'"
Like Audiophiles, Oenophiles not only enjoy the good stuff, they're often times obsessed with it to the point of becoming experts. In the same way many of us can hear what's technically wrong in a piece of electronics or a pair of speakers, Oenophiles can identify exact years and vintages of wine in blind tests.
What's fascinating to me is it's unlikely—probably impossible—to measure what Oenophiles use their taste buds and knowledge to identify. I am willing to bet that while machines can accurately compare one vial of wine vs. another, there's no device yet built that can match a master Sommelier's uncanny ability to pinpoint region, year, grape type and vintner from a single taste.
The point is simple. Both 'philes possess learned abilities to uncover fine details through built-in sensors that few devices can match.
It's not nothing to have honed your listening skills or taste buds to the point measurement tools cannot match.
So have a sip for me.
