Sémillon

[ sey-mee-yohn; French sey-mee-yawn ]

noun

1. a variety of white grape used in winemaking, especially in France in the Sauternes district of Bordeaux.

Sémillon

/ semijɔ̃; ˈseɪmiːjɒn /

noun

1. a white grape grown in the Bordeaux area of France and in Australia, used for making wine
2. any of various white wines made from this grape

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sémillon¹

1870–75; < French, earlier sémilion < Gascon semilhoun, equivalent to Old Provençal semilh ( ar ) to sow, derivative of seme seed (< Latin sēmen; semen ) + Gascon, Provençal -oun agentive suffix (apparently alluding to the variety's high productivity)

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sémillon¹

French

Example Sentences

This colombar grape is simply the semillon—one of the leading varieties of the Sauternes district—transported to the Charente.

From Project Gutenberg

This method is used successfully for certain wine grapes such as Riesling, Cabernet, and Semillon.

From Project Gutenberg