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All the more reason it should never be used. Look at the confusion it causes.
 
originally posted by Chris Coad:
This thread is making me uneasy.
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So I've been wrong all these years, thinking you chaste and the model of propriety in social situations?

-Eden (as long as your wife is okay with it)
 
Is this where we can post malaprops and grammatical no-nos, maybe even stupid stories?

OK here goes one

"Bordeaux is one of the world's most noble varietals"

C'mon let's hear 'em
 
A lady once told me that her favorite wine was Chablis, that she always ordered it in restaurants. Intrigued, I asked the name of one of her favorite producers.

"I prefer Wagner Fingerlakes Chablis"

I nodded, knowingly.
 
Okay, I found a quote about which there can be no argument:

"This is particularly true of their two flagship bottlings of dry riesling, the Riesling Cuve Frdric mile and Riesling Clos Ste. Hune, which for many lovers of Alsace wines are the absolute reference points for this varietal in the region."

- View From the Cellar, #18, Part 1
 
originally posted by Don Rice:
A lady once told me that her favorite wine was Chablis, that she always ordered it in restaurants. Intrigued, I asked the name of one of her favorite producers.

"I prefer Wagner Fingerlakes Chablis"

I nodded, knowingly.
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Pretty funny! There're lots better Chablis producers in the Finger Lakes than Wagner!
 
originally posted by Jay Miller:
Okay, I found a quote about which there can be no argument:

"This is particularly true of their two flagship bottlings of dry riesling, the Riesling Cuve Frdric mile and Riesling Clos Ste. Hune, which for many lovers of Alsace wines are the absolute reference points for this varietal in the region."

- View From the Cellar, #18, Part 1
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I'll concede the point on that one.
 
Wagner? The one that is both a winery and a brewery?

The beer was better than the wine.... Though they had this odd setup of tasting bars. One for the sweetish Cayuga type whites, and another for the wines they were trying to make in a more international style, shall we say. And a third area for the beers.
 
I don't know what the original error was, but I vote that telling stories about the wine ignorance of people is right up there with instructors who laugh at the grammatical errors of their students as a manifestation of uncalled for snobbery. It's probably worse since there really is no social necessity for being knowledgeable about wine or any reason why that person who thinks that a NY wine is a Chablis because that's what she saw on the label needs to augment her knowledge. Remember that we are engaged in the enterprise of giving outsize importance to an agricultural product that is also an alcoholic beverage. We should be devoting effort not to feel ashamed of ourselves for such an absurd activity, not rebuking others for not sharing our self-indulgence.

I do, however, support capital punishment for those who misuse varietal.
 
originally posted by Jonathan Loesberg:
I don't know what the original error was, but I vote that telling stories about the wine ignorance of people is right up there with instructors who laugh at the grammatical errors of their students as a manifestation of uncalled for snobbery. It's probably worse since there really is no social necessity for being knowledgeable about wine or any reason why that person who thinks that a NY wine is a Chablis because that's what she saw on the label needs to augment her knowledge. Remember that we are engaged in the enterprise of giving outsize importance to an agricultural product that is also an alcoholic beverage. We should be devoting effort not to feel ashamed of ourselves for such an absurd activity, not rebuking others for not sharing our self-indulgence.

I do, however, support capital punishment for those who misuse varietal.
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well, the original was a use of varietal which I thought was incorrect but was told I was wrong about. so I was incorrect and merely jumping on the anti-varietal misuse bandwagon. I'm so ashamed.
 
Following Jonathan, as a former prof (but not of English) I offer a proposed guide to the use of the "V" word (that I learned from Doghead):

"Varietal" is an adjective, not a noun. A particular grape is a variety (if you must), not a varietal. A varietal wine is a wine made from a particular variety, e.g., a pinot noir. This is in contrast to a blend or a wine that uses more than one grape.

I frequently made this mistake before I knew better and was glad when I learned the distinction.
 
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