Varietal

Hi all,

I know that this term has been discussed here before, but I am still confused on what it means and how to use it properly.

The other day, I was reading my "Page-a-Day" wine calender and there is a definition for variety and varietal. This is what it says:

Variety, Varietal:
These two words are often used interchangeably, but they refer to different things. Variety refers to a type of grape. The variety planted in a certain vineyard, for example, may be zinfandel. A varietal is a type of wine. Different varietals (zinfandel, syrah, merlot, and so on) appear on market shelves.

Next I looked up the definition of varietal in dictionary.com...here is the what it says:

va·ri·e·tal
–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 4. a varietal wine named for such a grape (distinguished from generic).

Then, last night, I was watching a show called "In Wine Country". At one point the host makes the following statement

...and started making wine from European varietal grapes.

. Was the word varietal used properly here?

I am really confused now, and honestly don't know when I should use the word varietal. If I used it to describe a wine...I guess that wine would be made only from one grape? If this is the case do I say, "I like this varietal" (speaking about a bottle of wine) or do I say, "I like this varietal wine" (is that redundant?). Can someone give me a sentence where the word varietal is used properly? TIA everyone!

[Robin Garr]

what it means and how to use it properly. ... Can someone give me a sentence where the word varietal is used properly? TIA everyone!

Here's the simple answer, Maria:

* "Variety" is a noun. In this sense, it means a category within a species. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir are varieties within the grape species <I>Vitis vinifera</i>.

* "Varietal" is an adjective. A wine made from Merlot and labeled with the name of the grape is a varietal wine.

Sample sentence using both: "This varietal wine is made from the Merlot variety."

"Varietal" lends itself to misuse, most often by writers who want to seem like greater experts than they are, because it sounds like an insider buzzword.

what it means and how to use it properly. ... Can someone give me a sentence where the word varietal is used properly? TIA everyone!

Here's the simple answer, Maria:

* "Variety" is a noun. In this sense, it means a category within a species. Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir are varieties within the grape species <I>Vitis vinifera</i>.

* "Varietal" is an adjective. A wine made from Merlot and labeled with the name of the grape is a varietal wine.

Sample sentence using both: "This varietal wine is made from the Merlot variety."

"Varietal" lends itself to misuse, most often by writers who want to seem like greater experts than they are, because it sounds like an insider buzzword.

I am on the side of Robin's definition, but I must also say that the word "varietal" is now accepted as a noun too, to encapsulate the phrase "varietal wine." Ex: Which varietal do you prefer? Makes me sick...

Robin has it succinctly nailed.

Varietal is (was) a darn useful word for describing a wine made from a named variety.

Unfortunately it is now sloppily used interchangeably with variety - and like Thomas - I'm really irritated by it.

If you want a techy sounding buzzy name, try cultivar instead of variety. Cultivar is a contraction of Cultivated Variety and is in common usage in South Africa.

Cultivar is a commonly used word throughout the horticulture industry for quite some time now.

The incessant misuse of the word 'varietal' is a pet peeve of mine, too. I think at least half of my professional customers use the word when they mean 'variety.' (No-one would say 'societal' when they meant 'society,' I think.)

'Micro-climate' comes a distant second.

I try fairly hard to use "varietal" correctly (or as correctly as it can be used as a noun), though I'm sure I slip.

That being said, I just wish I could have back all of the hours I have spent reading about the misuse of the term varietal. I could spend that time writing letters bemoaning the misuse of "decimate" or the idea that a main course is the "entree" !

This is kind of like trying to fight "ain't" or "as best as." Language is convention. If a term or usage becomes coventional, eventually it also becomes correct. I mean "varietal" really ain't right and I try as best I can to not use it, but it's a losing battle. (There is one more bit of usage in that last sentence which traditionally is also considered an error.)

[Robin Garr]

(There is one more bit of usage in that last sentence which traditionally is also considered an error.)

Split infinitive? That battle's pretty much lost, isn't it?

The abuse of "varietal," though, isn't just pedantry. Maybe in casual speech among wine geeks it's permissible, but I would argue that for a professional wine writer or wannabe, misusing "varietal" is a pretty clear litmus test.

by about a minute.

(There is one more bit of usage in that last sentence which traditionally is also considered an error.)

Split infinitive? That battle's pretty much lost, isn't it?

Yep. Too easy, eh? And it's gotten to the point where the unsplit infinitive sounds clumsy at times.

The abuse of "varietal," though, isn't just pedantry. Maybe in casual speech among wine geeks it's permissible, but I would argue that for a professional wine writer or wannabe, misusing "varietal" is a pretty clear litmus test.

You are correct and I think that thought extends to any professional writer, not just wine writers, because of the grammatical class of the lexical item. It's a question of simple mechanics. Still in all, words undergo metamorphosis. Through usage, albeit currently incorrect, "varietal" could be classed as a noun some day, if that is not already true. You can only fight it for so long, but if the reading public doesn't follow editorial example, then you may as well go with the flow.

Think of all the adjectives which are being turned into adverbs. How do you think Chaucer felt as he used the
-eth ending for the 3rd singular present of the verb while much of the spoken language had evolved to -s? Scite happeneth.

This is kind of like trying to fight "ain't" or "as best as." Language is convention. If a term or usage becomes coventional, eventually it also becomes correct. ...

Understand where you are coming from, Gary; yet there's another angle to this, a dimension apart from "correct" or "fighting."

Among language fans, nuances are signals. People who hold forth re a certain grape "varietal" (as I used to do, for instance) might be "correct" or not, per some standard; but maybe more interestingly, they transmit information about their understanding of the word to others who know it well. As a negotiator reveals emotion by involuntary pupil dilations (-- why some card players and OPEC emissaries wear dark glasses indoors). Just as Strunk and White's "I cannot bring myself really to like the fellow" reveals a narrow perception of split infinitives to people who know about them and their context. In fact this sort of thing may be on the rise. Writers seem less and less willing to reach for a dictionary, evidently filling the need by guess and by golly. (How else to explain the rise of things like people writing "bemuse" as if it were a version of "amuse," or surprised to hear that "patina" is traditionally stressed like "retina," etc. etc. etc.)

This seems to touch on a wider human principle about holding forth at the limits of your understanding, which I'll now honor by stopping.


"Language most shows a man. Speak, that I may see thee." (Ben Jonson, about 400 years ago.)

Maria,

If you are talking about grapes, then you are talking about varieties. Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon are all varieties of grapes.
Some examples of how I might use the word in a sentence:
I hold some grapes in my hand, can you guess which variety they are?
We grow two varieties of grapes on this property.

When you are talking about wines made from grapes, the word varietal could come into play.

This past vintage, the winemaker produced two varietals, one Pinot Noir and the other, Chardonnay, as well as two bottlings blended from Rhone varieties.

If you're using the word varietal and you're not referring to a specific bottle of wine, made mostly from a single grape variety, then you're probably using it incorrectly.

(There is one more bit of usage in that last sentence which traditionally is also considered an error.)

Split infinitive? That battle's pretty much lost, isn't it?

Yep. Too easy, eh? And it's gotten to the point where the unsplit infinitive sounds clumsy at times.

The abuse of "varietal," though, isn't just pedantry. Maybe in casual speech among wine geeks it's permissible, but I would argue that for a professional wine writer or wannabe, misusing "varietal" is a pretty clear litmus test.

You are correct and I think that thought extends to any professional writer, not just wine writers, because of the grammatical class of the lexical item. It's a question of simple mechanics. Still in all, words undergo metamorphosis. Through usage, albeit currently incorrect, "varietal" could be classed as a noun some day, if that is not already true. You can only fight it for so long, but if the reading public doesn't follow editorial example, then you may as well go with the flow.

Think of all the adjectives which are being turned into adverbs. How do you think Chaucer felt as he used the
-eth ending for the 3rd singular present of the verb while much of the spoken language had evolved to -s? Scite happeneth.

Gary, how do you feel about nouns being made into verbs. Can I "friend" you?

[David M. Bueker]

Let's see if I can impact ( ) this debate...

On second thought it has already been covered at least twice in the thread.

To use "varietal" as a noun instead of "varietal wine" is fine by me. It's like saying "Chardonnay" instead of "Chardonnay wine". I see it as an abreviation. In fact I think the most correct usage would be "varietally labelled wine".

But surely "...and started making wine from European varietal grapes" is just plain wrong. Ugh! Should be "...and started making wine from European grape varieties"

Verbing wierds language.

[Gary, how do you feel about nouns being meade into verbs. Can I "friend" you?

I try not to "feel" about these things; rather, I sit back, observe, and catalogue them in the tradition of the Brothers Grimm. The particular usage you give as an example would give me agita. I'd feel weird saying it so I suppose I probably wouldn't use it. "Befriend" would be my preference. On the other hand, if I sat here long enough, I'd surely find an example or three of my doing exactly what you describe. Which came first in expressions such as "telephone," "telegraph," "fax," "radio," "bicycle," "motor," "skate" etc., the noun or the verb?

My view is that avoiding "varietal" is the best course of action. As Dale says, it is easy to slip -- something like adding a possessive to "its" by mistake.

And as Robin says it's a litmus test -- but of what exactly? I know what Robin means -- seeing it mis-used makes me think a bit less of the writer, and brings up memories of the long discourses on the subject.

Finally, if you want to make your writing crisp and easily understood (and avoid the pitfalls mentioned throughout this interesting thread), my advice is to avoid using the word altogether.

And, try to read the stuff folks write using the word with a bit of compassion -- they are necessarily bad folks or wrong on other matters simply because they use this word incorrectly.

Regards, Bob

Finally, if you want to make your writing crisp and easily understood (and avoid the pitfalls mentioned throughout this interesting thread), my advice is to avoid using the word altogether.

Ah yes, actively avoid the slick temptation to engage in modifying or to go along and nounifize, verbifize, or adjectivize!

[Jenise]

My view is that avoiding "varietal" is the best course of action. As Dale says, it is easy to slip -- something like adding a possessive to "its" by mistake.

Same here. I allow myself the use of 'varietal' only if I'm saying, for instance, "this wine has good varietal character."

My view is that avoiding "varietal" is the best course of action. As Dale says, it is easy to slip ...

Same here.

I'll respectfully argue with both of you. Robin laid out the basic picture early in the thread; it's not complex or subtle. People often spend more effort working around a word they're uncomfortable about than just learning the simple rule; IME* that's a false economy. (Side trips here into split infinitives and other shibboleths -- though fun -- mask the simplicity and raise the anxiety.)

Jancis Robinson has a concise overview of the word's 20th-century impact in her Oxford Companion to Wine (either first or second edition), beginning with Schoonmaker's US advocacy of it (which I described in a recent posting here). Robinson:

VARIETAL, descriptive term for a wine named after the dominant grape variety from which it is made. ... So popular has the term varietal become that many use it (incorrectly) as synonymous with variety.

*IME: In my experience

[Footnote to Mark Lipton: Mark, please quote that in the alt.food.wine FAQ list if it's not already there.]

Then, last night, I was watching a show called "In Wine Country". At one point the host makes the following statement

...and started making wine from European varietal grapes.

. Was the word varietal used properly here?

I am really confused now, and honestly don't know when I should use the word varietal. If I used it to describe a wine...I guess that wine would be made only from one grape? If this is the case do I say, "I like this varietal" (speaking about a bottle of wine) or do I say, "I like this varietal wine" (is that redundant?). Can someone give me a sentence where the word varietal is used properly? TIA everyone!

"Variety" is the noun, and, as it pertains to wine and grape-growing, it means a particular breed of grape vine. Pinot noir, riesling, and cabernet sauvignon are examples of grape varieties.

"Varietal" is the adjective form of "variety". To use dictionary-speak, it means "of or pertaining to a variety". A "varietal wine" is thus one made entirely or principally (the exact legal rules differ from country to country) from a single grape variety.

Thus, red Burgundy, with the exception of Bourgogne Passe-Tout-Grains, is varietal pinot noir, as 100% of the grapes must be of the pinot noir variety.

The above sentence shows the proper use of both words.

Especially in conversation, it's commonplace to shorten the phrase "varietal wine" to simply "varietal". So I might say, "I enjoyed a glass of syrah last night, even though I don't usually like that varietal"--the word "varietal" on the end being shorthand for "varietal wine".

This usage is dead wrong: "The 1996 Chateau Haut-Toity says on the label that it contains 10% petit verdot, but that seems unlikely, as that varietal isn't grown on the property." The word "variety" should be used here, as we're talking about the vines, not a wine made all or mostly from those vines. Unfortunately, Robert Parker makes this error a lot in his reviews. It drives me nuts when I see it.

In all likelihood, though, the malapropism of "varietal" for "variety" will eventually come to be accepted, just as the use of "media" as a singular noun is now being accepted by some dictionaries as an alternate usage.

-Paul W.

And as Robin says it's a litmus test -- but of what exactly? I know what Robin means -- seeing it mis-used makes me think a bit less of the writer, and brings up memories of the long discourses on the subject.

It's like any other grammatical error in written language. It makes the writer look ignorant. Misuse of variety vs. varietal is especially bad for a wine writer. It makes the reader ask, "if this alleged expert doesn't even know the proper usage of these terms, what else concerning wine is he ignorant about?"

It's like mispronouncing "nuclear" as "nuculur". One is left wondering, "if this guy can't even pronounce the word properly, do I really want his finger on the button that launches the missiles?"

-Paul W.

In all likelihood, though, the malapropism of "varietal" for "variety" will eventually come to be accepted, just as the use of "media" as a singular noun is now being accepted by some dictionaries as an alternate usage.

Hey, don't forget "criteria" and "data!!"

Correct. We, as a group, can choose any standard we wish, be it Jancis Robinson, Smokie Robinson, Andrea Immer Robinson, or Jackie Robinson. And we can say that that's the way we want to use a certain expression and that's what it's going to mean to us. But if the bulk of the speakers ignores our standard and uses some other standard or no standard at all, then it is likely that their common parlance, if used in the majority, will be "elevated" to standard usage. We can dissect and reflect all we want (which to me is a really fun* pursuit), but we're not going to stop language from evolving. And what's the big deal anyway? I mean it's just a new, even if redundant noun.

*"Fun" another one of them there nouns turned adjectives.