Varietal

A wine that is created predominantly from a single designated grape variety is referred to as a varietal wine. Varietal wines often include the name of the grape variety they are manufactured from on the bottle's label. Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Merlot are some examples of grape varietals that are often employed in the production of varietal wines. Wines that include the names of two or more different types on their labels, such as a Chardonnay-Viognier, are considered to be blends rather than varietal wines. The phrase is commonly used incorrectly in lieu of vine variety; the term variety refers to the vine or grape, while the term varietal refers to the wine produced by a variety of a vine or grape.

Maynard Amerine, working at the University of California, Davis after Prohibition, is credited with popularising the term in the United States with the goal of encouraging growers to choose optimal vine varieties. The concept was later promoted by Frank Schoonmaker in the 1950s and 1960s, and it eventually became widespread during the California wine boom of the 1970s. There is a long-standing tradition of varietal labelling in Germany and other German-influenced wine regions including Austria, Alsace, and the Czech Republic. Varietal wines are commonly associated with wines from the New World in general. However, there is also a tradition of varietal labelling in Germany.