zinfandel

noun

zin·fan·del ˈzin-fən-ˌdel

often capitalized

: a dry red table wine made from a small black grape that is grown chiefly in California

also : the grape

Examples of zinfandel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Yes, in fact, what one often thinks of as a very American grape variety – zinfandel – comes originally from the Balkan peninsula. —

Per and Britt Karlsson, Forbes, 9 Sep. 2024 More than 40 different grape varieties flourish, from zinfandel to cabernet sauvignon, grenache to syrah, and there are nearly 300 wineries spread across 11 sub-AVAs (American Viticultural Areas). —

Catherine Garcia, The Week Us, theweek, 7 Aug. 2024 Celebrate the start of summer with two timeless classics — zinfandel and the music of The Beatles. —

Brittany Delay, The Mercury News, 22 May 2024 The Field Blend combines cabernet sauvignon, petite sirah, petit verdot, zinfandel and merlot into a smooth, ripe, slightly sweet red, fine for casual sipping or to wash down burgers or takeout kebabs. —

Dave McIntyre, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for zinfandel

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'zinfandel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

probably modification of obsolete Hungarian tzinifándli, czirifandli, a white wine grape (misapplied to a grape variety of Dalmatian origin), from German Zierfandler

First Known Use

1858, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of zinfandel was in 1858

See more words from the same year