Vineyard

vineyard, name given to the agricultural field where grapevines are grown.

The contrast in connotations between the very words vineyard and field illustrates something of the special nature of vines as a crop. This may be partly connected with the symbolism of and pleasures associated with wine, but is also a function of the aesthetic appeal of vineyards in all seasons, whether the increasingly luxuriant green canopy of spring and summer, the flame-coloured leaves of autumn (even if these indicate the presence of virus disease), or the rows of poignant black stumps in winter. The beauty of vineyards and vines plays an important part in wine tourism; it is difficult to imagine substantial numbers of people making a pilgrimage to a region famous for any other agricultural crop.