The German term vintner is derived from the Latin "Vinitor" (from Vinum = wine) and means "grape picker" (Weintraubenleser). This suggests that in earlier times it meant only the activity of growing grapes, i.e. without the process of wine production. Today, in German-speaking countries, this is not an unambiguous occupational designation, but rather a general, colloquial collective term for the group of winegrowers, regardless of the scope of the activity, from the mere supplier of grapes to the wine producer (cellar master). As a rule, however, today it is only used to refer to or understand a wine production business as a vineyard and, especially in Bordeaux, as a château.
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