Definition: Restanque

A retaining wall (wall with two faces); by metonymy, the terrace supported by this wall, in local Provençal French, the restanque for a terraced vineyard composed of several restanques usually supported by low walls, formerly made of dry stone. A restancaire (lower Provence) is a builder of restanques. The dry stone wall, commonly known as a restanque in the south of France, is discovering a high-end cachet far removed from its rural origins.