varietal

American  

[vuh-rahy-i-tl] / vəˈraɪ ɪ tl /

adjective

1. of, pertaining to, designating, or characteristic of a variety.

2. constituting a variety.

3. (in U.S. winemaking) designating a wine made entirely or chiefly from one variety of grape.

---

noun

1. a varietal wine named for such a grape (distinguished from generic).

varietal British  

/ vəˈraɪɪtəl /

adjective

1. of, relating to, characteristic of, designating, or forming a variety, esp a biological variety

---

noun

1. a wine labelled with the name of the grape from which it is pressed

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• intervarietal
  adjective
• varietally
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of varietal

First recorded in 1865–70; variet(y) + -al ¹

Example Sentences

In the words of the eminent Australian viticulturalist Dr Richard Smart to World of Wine, even relatively small changes in temperature could “effectively rewrite regional reputations and varietal preferences.”

From Salon • May 1, 2024

Some governments, particularly in Europe, designated appellations—strictly circumscribed regions with rules on how and where a varietal such as burgundy, rioja or barolo was legally allowed to grow and be produced.

From Scientific American • Sep. 21, 2023

With its embrace of the international varietal of football, the U.S. is becoming a global sports hub in the same way it has long been a hub for music and film.

From Slate • Jun. 10, 2023

India bought mostly Red Delicious apples, a varietal whose popularity has declined domestically.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 3, 2023

The remainder are to be considered as varietal forms of a very trifling departure from the type, or as hybrids.

From The History of the European Fauna by Scharff, Robert Francis