What is VINTAGE?

vin. tage (vin'tij)

noun

1. 1. the crop or yield of a particular vineyard or grape-growing region in a single season, with reference either to the grapes or to the wine made from them
   2. wine; specif., the wine, esp. a prized wine, of a particular region in a specified year
   3. the region or year of a particular wine
2. the act or season of gathering grapes or of making wine.

adjective

1. of or produced in a particular vintage: said of wine
2. of a good period, choice, representative of the best. 

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. 
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Lately in my travels I have been encountering the use of the word Vintage in many unusual ways and this prompted me to take the time to see what a dictionary definition of the word says. Now we all know we can make stuff up as we go along, we always have and it will be what we want it to be but I thought, what the heck always fun to see how far a word has come from its original meaning. I read several articles about how the wine industry believes the word was hijacked from them and thus demeaning it as it has been used many times out of context. I myself have used the word to describe all kinds of things I have in my home and business, and not really knowing the true meaning of the word felt somehow defining it as "Vintage" made it special. I love this word, it makes things sound special, it makes things sound like they have a story, you all know how I like things to have a story... I have used "antique","old","primitive","art" and "vintage" to describe many things over the years and never once was I questioned on the truth of those descriptions, I hope I never misled anyone in believing they were getting something different then they really were. I am still going to use these words, I am still going to be attracted to these words when I see them used to describe all the wonderful things I like. Words are funny to me, they assist us in labeling the things in our world, all labeling does is simply put our opinion on it... oohh that would be another good word to look at... another time.. this was just something to think about~Jacque