Difference Between Vineyard and Winery

The main difference between vineyard and winery is that vineyard is a plantation that grows grapes for wine production whereas winery is a building involved in the production of wine.

Vineyard and winery are two words associated with the production of wine. Although some people use these two words interchangeably, there is a distinct difference between vineyard and winery.

Key Areas Covered

1. What is a Vineyard
     – Definition, Characteristics, Activities
2. What is a Winery
     – Definition, Characteristics 
3. Difference Between Vineyard and Winery
     – Comparison of Key Differences

Key Terms

Vineyard, Winery, Winemaking

What is a Vineyard

Vineyard is the land where grapes grow. We generally use the word vineyard to refer to plantations that grow grapes for wine production. However, it’s important to know that grapes grown in vineyards also have some other uses. Some vineyard owners sell grapes to food markets to use as table grapes. Some also make raisins (these are the shrivelled-up grapes, which are dried in the sun) and non-alcoholic grape juice. Moreover, a vineyard can have a winery, which produces grapes harvested from the vineyard. However, not every vineyard has a winery; vineyards can also sell grapes to outside winery owners.

A vineyard has trellises to support the grapes that grow on vines. Moreover, grapes remain on vines until they are ripe enough to be harvested. These are the various activities you can observe in a vineyard:

• Pruning the vines
• Plucking grapes
• Repairing trellises
• Planting new wines
• Training vines to trellises

Furthermore, terroir, which is the collection of natural factors such as soil, microclimate, underlying rock, altitude, the slope of the hill, etc., is an important factor in vineyards. In addition, vineyards are usually located on hillsides.

What is a Winery

A winery is basically a property or building that produces wine. Wineries employ winemakers to produce wines from grapes. The winemaking process involves many steps such as fermentation of grapes, blending and ageing of the juice. However, as mentioned above, not all wineries have vineyards. The grapes winemakers use in winemaking may be from vineyards owned by the winery or bought from other vineyards.

Moreover, some wineries give tours and have tasting rooms where customers can taste wines before making a purchase. Some large wineries also have warehouses, bottling lines, etc. Napa Valley, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Barossa valley and Sonoma valley are some areas we usually associate with wineries and vineyards.

Difference Between Vineyard and Winery

Definition

A vineyard is a plantation that grows grapes for wine production while a winery is a building involved in the production of wine

Purpose

Moreover, a vineyard produces grapes whereas a winery produces wine.

Relationship

Not every vineyard has a winery; vineyards can also sell grapes to outside winery owners. This is another difference between vineyard and winery.

Conclusion

Overall vineyard and winery are two words associated with the production of wine. The main difference between vineyard and winery is that vineyard is a plantation that grows grapes for wine production whereas winery is a building involved in the production of wine.

Reference:

1. “Winery.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Aug. 2019, Available here.
2. “What Is a Vineyard?” Grapes, 20 June 2019, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “553462” (CC0) via Pixabay
2. “1612092” (CC0) via Pixabay
3. “914213” (CC0) via Pxhere