Brunello

noun

Bru·​nel·​lo brü-ˈne-lō 

variants or less commonly Brunello di Montalcino

-dē-ˌmän-täl-ˈchē-nō 

plural Brunellos also Brunellos di Montalcino

: a full-bodied red wine made from Sangiovese grapes that is produced in the Tuscany region of Italy

Three impressive reds in particular—Barolo, Barbaresco, and Brunello di Montalcino—have acquired a devoted following among American oenophiles.

—Alexis Bespaloff, Elle, January 1987

Word History

Etymology

Brunello borrowed from Italian, from bruno "dark in color, brown" (going back to Vulgar Latin *brūn-, borrowed from Germanic) + -ello, noun suffix (going back to Latin -ellus, originally diminutive suffix, variant of -ulus with stems ending in r); Brunello di Montalcino borrowed from Italian, literally "Brunello of Montalcino" (town in southern Tuscany)

First Known Use

1973, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!