‖ vendange
(vɑ̃dɑ̃ʒ)
Also † 8 vandange.
[Fr.: see vendage.]
In France, the annual grape harvest, the vintage (sense 2).
| 1766 Smollett Trav. I. viii. 133 The mountains of Burgundy are covered with vines... The vandange was but just begun, and the people were employed in gathering the grapes. 1852 Mrs. E. Twisleton Let. 9 Oct. (1928) iv. 56 The vendange for the year is over, but the crop is not good and..they say none of the best wines will be made from it. 1893 Somerville & ‘Ross’ In Vine Country viii. 147 Of course we left vowing to return for the vendange next year. 1944 W. Fortescue Mountain Madness xi. 83 And when the jasmin harvest was over, there was the vendange, my grapes to be picked and made into wine. 1969 B. Weil Dossier IX xxiii. 180 It's a good time to go south. The vendange is just starting. 1972 Daily Tel. 8 Apr. 14/7 Last year's vendange. |
Hence vendangeur, a grape-picker.
| 1893 Somerville & ‘Ross’ In Vine Country v. 91 We had to drive for some distance before we saw the first group of vendangeurs, standing waist-deep in the vines, snipping off the bunches and putting them into square wooden baskets. 1971 Country Life 2 Dec. 1501/3 The carver of a misericord in Ely cathedral certainly knew what was what when he displayed an Ely vendangeur of 1340 or thereabouts. |