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varietal wine

varietal wine

5.2
A wine made mainly from one type of grape and labeled with the grape name
  • noun
  • /vəˈraɪətl waɪn/
  • Specialized
translation icon : vino varietal
  • Although Ploussard can be used to produce a varietal wine, it's often blended with other varieties such as Trousseau and Pinot Noir, which both lend more color and body to the blend.
  • sale of varietal wine

Examples

  • It's important to note that with blends, like with varietal wines, there are values at many price levels.

    Blog text (21)
  • Oregon is the only state where most varietal wines must contain 90 percent of the named variety.

  • Today, the Santa Ynez Valley produces a diverse range of superb varietal wines, including Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

  • During the 1980s, sales of premium varietal wines identified with a single variety of grape continued to grow.

Synonyms

Sauvignon
vsvarietal wine
12 5.8

A white wine with a fresh, fruity taste often served cold

is the general class covering wines made mainly from one grape
Pinot noir
vsvarietal wine
9 4.9

A red grape and the dry red wine made from it

is the general class covering wines named for one grape
varietal
vsvarietal wine
  • Specialized
5 7.4

A wine made mostly from one type of grape, like Chardonnay

is the broader category defined by single-grape labelling to show the grape
Sauvignon blanc
vsvarietal wine
  • Specialized
3 3.7

A white grape and dry wine made from it, first from France and now grown around the world

is the general class covering wines named for a single grape
Viognier
vsvarietal wine
1 9.9

A type of white grape or the white wine made from that grape with flowery, fruity smells

is the general label for wines made mainly from a single grape

Antonyms

generic wine
  • Specialized
6.3

A wine not allowed to show its place or grape and sold under a simple name such as red

How Specific

appellation
  • Specialized
1 9.9
varietal wine
  • Specialized
5.2
table wine
  • US
1 2.9
generic wine
  • Specialized
6.3

Surface Forms

varietal wine singular

Morphology

varietal + wine

The meaning is directly compositional: 'varietal' (relating to a particular variety/type) combined with 'wine' yields 'wine made from a single grape variety'. This noun phrase follows a standard, cross-linguistic modifier+noun pattern and so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Varietal wine comes from the word varietal, which points to a single 'variety' of grape. It means wine made mostly from one grape and labeled with that grape's name, so you can easily tell its taste.