'vinegrower' originates from Modern English, a compound of 'vine' and 'grower', where 'vine' ultimately comes from Latin 'vinea' meaning 'vineyard' and 'grower' derives from the verb 'grow' (Old English 'grōwan') with the agentive suffix '-er'.

'vine' entered English via Old French/Norman 'vigne' from Latin 'vinea'; 'grow' comes from Old English 'grōwan', and the agentive form 'grower' developed by adding '-er' to the verb. These elements combined in Modern English to form the compound 'vinegrower'.

Initially it literally meant 'a person who grows vines'; over time the basic sense has remained stable, commonly narrowing to refer specifically to those who grow grapevines for wine or table grapes.