For the oenophiles I know, it's totally about exploring interesting flavors, and also appreciating the context in which the different wines are made (like with

For the oenophiles I know, it's totally about exploring interesting flavors, and also appreciating the context in which the different wines are made (like with art). As for transience, you can stretch out a bottle of spirits over months. And hopefully the wine would be enjoyed synergistically with some great food. All that said, there are a thousand good/interesting $15-25 bottles of wine to chase if you're wanting to get into that, and IMHO Veblen goods are stupid.