Stupid wine term?

I am finally getting around to reading the fine print in Tom Stevensons 2009 Wine Report and he frequently uses the term "winegrower". I get a mental picture of old gnarley vines with bottles hanging off them. That also excludes those growers that grow wine grapes but do not make wine. Is this a stupid term or do I just have too much time on my hands?

[David M. Bueker]

I have no problem with the term. For me it accurately describes the small vigneron who tends the vines and makes the wine.

Jim - it is not a new phrase. I have a copy of a book titled "A Wine-Growers Guide" by Phillip Wagner. I have the 3rd edition, published in 1985. It's a companion book to his popular wine making book "Grapes Into Wine". Note that in this case, wine-grower is hyphenated. I'm not sure the term excludes those who do not make wine. I think it excludes growers of table and juice grapes.

[Robin Garr]

It is an old term. I kind of share Jim's amusement at it and don't use it myself for that reason, but in fairness, as others have pointed out, it's in wide use, and I think more metaphorical than carelessly inaccurate.

Ask a bunch of winemakers and almost all of them will tell you that good wine is made in the vineyard. If you get poor grapes from the vineyard there are not many winemakers who can make good wine out of them. Therefore, wine is grown rather than made.

If we take the French term David made reference to- vigneron, (he could of chosen the French terms viticultrice, or vitiulteur or the Spanish term vinicultor, or Italian term viticoltore, or German term weinbauer or winzer) basically in English it means one who cultures the vine, wine or wine farmer hence “winegrower”.

Salute

Winegrowner is more of a European term and I use it all the time in the wine translations I do.

Like David, I see this as OK and, when you think about it, much more accurate than "winemaker".

Like the French word "vigneron", the English "winegrower" implies someone who grows the grapes and makes the wine.
Is there any other English word that does that?

Many "growers" do just that: and sell their grapes.
Many "winemakers" don't go anywhere near a vineyard.

OK. "Producer" is close, but is it only me who equates this with the notion of a big company and something reminiscent of manufacturing rather than craftsmanship?
For an American audience, I would probably use this word. For a British English speaking audience, winegrower.

Best regards,
Alex R.

For the same reasons as Alex, I am also in favor of the use of the word and often use it interchangeably with vigneron, even in my English language columns.

Lucky break for me in Hebrew that vigneron, as written in Hebrew letters is used for those winemakers who are also in charge of their own vineyards; and the word corem indeed refers to that person who has his/her own vineyards and sells grapes to wineries.

Best
Rogov

It is an old term. I kind of share Jim's amusement at it and don't use it myself for that reason, but in fairness, as others have pointed out, it's in wide use, and I think more metaphorical than carelessly inaccurate.

Hmmmm....speaking of old...how about Howie's new avatar!!!

Winegrower is a term I seldom use...but I got no problem with it.
Tom

I rarely see the term used and never use it myself, but see no big problem with others using it.

If descriptive terms should follow actual functionality, should 'fisherman' really be 'fishchaser'? (And don't give me any of that PC crap about 'fishers' or I'll arrange to have you dropped down a 'personhole')

Hmmmm....speaking of old...how about Howie's new avatar!!! ...

LOL But, at least I have an avatar.