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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
First promoted as a varietal wine by Bodega Tierra Roja’s Christian Villamor in 2010, the Vischoqueña mantel has since been taken up by Yokich, Cepa de Oro, and Jardín Oculto among others.
—Marianne Perez-Fransius, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 July 2024
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
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
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Cite this Entry
“Varietal wine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/varietal%20wine. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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