zinfandel

noun

zin·​fan·​del ˈzin-fən-ˌdel 

often capitalized

: a dry red table wine made from a small black grape that is grown chiefly in California

also : the grape

Examples of zinfandel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Traveling through a landscape of 43,000 acres of vines bearing cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and zinfandel grapes, among other varietals, the trains offer an ideal way to taste vintages and experience the beauty of America’s most famous wine-growing region. —Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 13 May 2025

El Dorado County wineries are best known for familiar favorite reds, including zinfandel, cabernet sauvignon and petite sirah. —Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 6 Feb. 2025

Their success with these grapes and a handful of others, like merlot, pinot noir, sauvignon blanc and zinfandel, led to hordes of imitators who planted the same set of grapes. —Eric Asimov, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025

Five miles northeast of Somerset, Miraflores Winery’s Primitivo grapes are cloned from the same vines as its zinfandel, but grown and processed separately to bring out their minute differences. —Benjy Egel, Sacramento Bee, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably modification of obsolete Hungarian tzinifándli, czirifandli, a white wine grape (misapplied to a grape variety of Dalmatian origin), from German Zierfandler

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing zinfandel

• white zinfandel

Rhymes for zinfandel

• bagatelle
• caravel
• carousel
• carrousel
• citadel
• clientele
• commonweal
• decibel
• demoiselle
• fontanelle
• infidel
• isabel