winegrower

A winegrower is a person who grows grapes for wine, often managing the vineyard's cultivation from planting to harvest. In many wine regions, the winegrower is the essential agronomic steward of the vineyard, either as the owner-operator or as a professional manager contracted by a winery, cooperative, or grape grower consortium.

Duties include planning the vineyard, selecting varieties, managing soil and irrigation, pruning, canopy management, pest and disease control, fertilizer programs, weed control, harvest timing, and coordination with winemakers to match grape characteristics with intended wines.

The role emphasizes long-term vineyard health and quality rather than immediate production. Practices vary by climate and region, with adherence to sustainable, organic, or biodynamic standards in some cases. Yields are often managed to optimize flavor and acidity rather than volume.

In practice, winegrowers collaborate with agronomists, vintners, and oenologists. In European traditions, close oversight of a single block or estate is common; in other regions, the term is used more loosely for grape growers who supply to multiple buyers.

See also: viticulture, vintner, oenology.