http://bugs.winehq.org/show_bug.cgi?id=11184
--- Comment #2 from Roderick Colenbrander thunderbird2k@gmx.net 2008-01-14 05:04:38 --- As of Wine 0.9.53 wineboot is started at wine startup to launch services (and I think the drive detection will be a service soon too, so it is needed). Most likely this is what is adding some additional delay. If no trace of Wine is around when starting winepath, this likely happens. Try to see what happens if you have e.g. winemine running when you launch your script. Likely it defaults to the old behavior.