SINCE 1828
vinifera
noun
vi·nif·era
| \ vī-ˈni-f(ə-)rə
\
\
plural vinifera
or viniferas
Definition of vinifera
: a common European grape (Vitis vinifera) that is the chief source of Old World wine and table grape varieties
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Examples of vinifera in a Sentence
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In fact, two of the top four vinifera varieties grown there are red. — Fortune, "Winemakers in New York’s Finger Lakes Region Are Moving Beyond Riesling," 31 Aug. 2019 There were reds, whites and pinks made with a variety of Vitis vinifera wine grapes ranging from sauvignon blanc and semillon to syrah and Oregon’s famed pinot noir. — Michael Alberty | For The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive.com, "Home winemakers go for gold at Oregon State Fair competition," 14 Aug. 2019 Frontenac was a hybrid: 50 percent from a wild Vitis riparia American vine, and 50 percent from Vitis vinifera, the European grapevine. — Kevin Begos, Smithsonian, "The Quest to Grow the First Great American Wine Grape," 6 June 2018 In the vitis vinifera species of grapes that makes all of the world’s best wine. — Gar Joseph, Philly.com, "Cheap Buzz: The Genetics of Wine Color," 18 Oct. 2017 Several varieties of vitis vinifera - Merlot, Syrah, Riesling - have fallen out of fashion with the public and are frequently bottled under proprietary names. — Noelle Crombie, OregonLive.com, "Portland tactical officers arrest suspect in Hillsboro shooting," 18 Aug. 2017 European settlers continued to plant vinifera throughout the nineteenth century. — Chateau Ste. Michelle, The Seattle Times, "How Washington became a major player in the wine industry," 2 May 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vinifera.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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