"Leo Bueno" > wrote in message
...
>
> Are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Riesling, etc., grape
> "varieties" or "varietals"?
>
> My ear says "varieties" but many folk in the wine world say
> "varietals".
>
> What's the correct usage?
>
Hi Leo, your q. might be more appropriate to alt.linguistics (there's no
such thing) :-) but here's my two cents.

Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Cabernet Franc, Riesling, etc are grape varieties,
it's only when they've been made into wine and (importantly) not mixed with
another grape variety on the way, that we would call the wine (still not the
grape) a varietal.

I'm going to copy your original post to a generally well educated and
(in?)famously pedantic non- wine newsgroup. I post any interesting replies
back here.

all the best
Sammy