Vignoble

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A cultivated area dedicated to the growing of grapevines for winemaking purposes
2. A specific type of vineyard that is often associated with quality wine production and regional characteristics
3. An estate or land designated for the production of grape varieties, integral to the winemaking process

Etymology: "Vignoble" is the French word for a wine-growing region, and its roots are a neat pairing of two Latin ideas. It comes from "vinea," meaning vineyard or grapevine, which is also the source of "vine" and "vinegar" in English, though "vinegar" arrived through Old French "vinaigre," literally "sour wine." Attached to it is the suffix "-oble," a variant of "-able," which in Old French often marked a place or area associated with a thing, so "vignoble" is a formation along the lines of "vineyard-land." The most surprising part is that the "-oble" ending has no connection to the French adjective "noble," even though the two look alike. Readers who know French may expect a link, but the words are unrelated.

Synonyms: vineyard, winery