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.

From Salon

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

From Los Angeles Times

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.

From Seattle Times

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.

From Science Daily

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.

From Seattle Times