Meaning & use
zinfandel
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable or uncountable
A dark purple grape grown widely in California and used to make wine.
Grammar: Uncountable for the grape in general; countable for varieties or glasses.
Patterns
- zinfandel grapes
- a zinfandel vineyard
Old zinfandel vines grow on the hillside behind the winery.
The farmer harvested zinfandel in early October.
Zinfandel thrives in the warm, dry climate of California.
nouncountable or uncountable
A wine made from the zinfandel grape, either a strong red wine or a sweeter pink one sold as white zinfandel.
Grammar: Uncountable as a type of drink; countable when ordering: two zinfandels.
Patterns
- a glass of zinfandel
- a bottle of zinfandel
We ordered a bottle of zinfandel to go with the barbecue.
This zinfandel tastes of ripe berries and black pepper.
She prefers a chilled white zinfandel on hot afternoons.
Word forms
| plural | zinfandels |
|---|
Common combinations
- a glass of zinfandel
- He poured a glass of zinfandel for his guest.
- white zinfandel
- White zinfandel is pink and slightly sweet.
- zinfandel grapes
- Zinfandel grapes ripen unevenly on the vine.
- red zinfandel
- A red zinfandel pairs well with grilled meat.
- old-vine zinfandel
- Old-vine zinfandel often has deep, concentrated flavor.
Synonyms and how they differ
Word family
Commonly confused: zinfandel or chardonnay? zinfandel or zin?
zinfandel vs chardonnay
Chardonnay is a white grape and wine, while zinfandel is a dark grape used for red and pink wine.
zinfandel vs zin
Zin is just an informal short form of zinfandel and means the same thing.
Practice
Which statement about white zinfandel is correct?
Choose one answer.
White zinfandel is a pink wine made from the dark zinfandel grape. The name is misleading, but it is not clear or made from green grapes.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “zinfandel”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.