varietal wine

noun

variants or less commonly varietal
: a wine (such as merlot) bearing the name of the principal grape from which it is produced

Examples of varietal wine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Unfamiliarity with this or that varietal wine hasn’t kept consumers from recognizing and embracing suggestions of apple, lime and revitalizing acidity in her Picpoul Blanc, the juicy complexity of her Grenache Blanc, and the tropical fruitiness, richness and persistence of her Clairette Blanche. Mike Dunne, SFChronicle.com, 16 June 2020 Petite sirah has its advocates, but it’s never been all that popular or respected as a varietal wine. New York Times, 21 Oct. 2021 At the time, many Napa Valley wineries used Merlot grapes, but they were rarely fashioned into a varietal wine. Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, 28 Nov. 2022 Bending Branch Winery, the first to plant Souzao (a dark skinned grape with good natural acidity), released a single vineyard varietal wine, Bending Branch Estate Souzao, Lost Pirogue Vineyard, 2017. Dallas News, 18 May 2022 Wine Folly says in Chile, a single-varietal wine is allowed to have up to 15% other varieties blended with it. Marc Bona, cleveland, 14 Aug. 2022 Roussanne, a white Rhône variety, is an important grape for Rhône-expert Tablas Creek—as a varietal wine and in their lovely blends. Sara L. Schneider, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2021 Any red wine that’s not a varietal wine — that is, composed of a single grape variety, like Pinot Noir or Sangiovese — is a red blend. Esther Mobley, San Francisco Chronicle, 24 Sep. 2021 As a varietal wine, petite sirahs are conventionally dark and tannic, even if not particularly alcoholic, and rarely interesting to me. New York Times, 19 Aug. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'varietal wine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1950, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of varietal wine was in 1950

Dictionary Entries Near varietal wine

Cite this Entry

“Varietal wine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/varietal%20wine. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

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