What does "vintage" mean?

1. (year of production) the specific year or place that something was made, especially wine. 2. (old but high quality) describing something from the past that is still high quality and stylish. 3. (typical of someone) showing the best or most typical qualities of a person or their work. 4. (to harvest grapes) to pick grapes to make wine.

How do you use "vintage"?

Often used with a specific year. Often used before a name or as a predicate adjective. Primarily used in the context of viticulture.

vintage

n. · adj. · v.

US //ˈvɪntɪdʒ// UK //vˈɪntɪdʒ// vin·tage

1 year of production (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

the specific year or place that something was made, especially wine.

the year or place in which something was produced, particularly used to identify the origin and quality of wine.

Example

The label on the bottle shows that the vintage was 2015.

Example

Connoisseurs often debate whether the 1990 vintage produced a superior Bordeaux compared to the more celebrated 1982 harvest.

Usage

Often used with a specific year.
2 old but high quality (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

describing something from the past that is still high quality and stylish.

denoting something from a previous era that is recognized for its enduring appeal, quality, or classic style.

Example

She loves wearing vintage clothes from the 1950s.

Example

The collector spent years sourcing vintage car parts to ensure the restoration remained authentic to the original 1960s design.

Teacher's tip

Learners should distinguish 'vintage' from 'antique'; vintage usually refers to items 20–100 years old, while antiques are older.
- classic
- retro
- old school
- modern
- contemporary

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3 typical of someone (adj.)
C1 Advanced Literary

showing the best or most typical qualities of a person or their work.

representing the best or most characteristic examples of a person's work or behavior.

Example

The striker scored a goal that was vintage Ronaldo.

Example

The director's latest film features a vintage blend of dark humor and sweeping cinematography that fans have come to expect.

Usage

Often used before a name or as a predicate adjective.
4 to harvest grapes (v.)
C2 Proficiency Technical Cooking

to pick grapes to make wine.

to harvest grapes for the purpose of winemaking.

Example

The workers began to vintage the grapes in early September.

Example

The estate prefers to vintage the crop by hand to ensure only the most mature clusters are selected for the premium labels.

Usage

Primarily used in the context of viticulture.
- harvest
- gather

Origin

From Middle English vendage, vyndage, from Anglo-Norman vendenge, from Old French vendage, vendenge (cognate with French vendange), from Latin vindēmia (“a gathering of grapes, vintage”), from vīnum (“wine”) + dēmō (“take off or away, remove”), from de (“of; from, away from”) + emō (“take”).