varietal

[vuh-rahy-i-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 (generic ).

varietal

/ 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

• varietally adverb
• intervarietal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of varietal¹

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

Example Sentences

I’ve spent entire evenings Googling ranch dressing varietals, decoding the semiotics of suburban chain restaurant menus, pondering the subtle thrill of foods that jiggle.

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For years, visitors would flock to her garden to learn about the native plants and varietals she tended.

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MacLachlan’s Walla Walla tasting room for his Pursued by Bear wines, which opened in spring 2023, will add to its offerings this fall when a single varietal merlot joins the Twin Bear line.

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Some examples include mulching, no-till planting, using drought-tolerant varietals, and deficit irrigation -- where you provide less water than the crop could theoretically consume.

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The tasting room, which focuses on Rhône varietals, boasts 17 wines by the glass, with options from Red Mountain, Yakima, Horse Heaven Hills and Wahluke Slope terroirs.

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