Variety vs varietal

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Grammarist

To have a variety of something, one has lots of unique kinds of that item or group. One can have a variety of wines or books or even choices. The plural is varieties.

Varietal is an adjective. In one sense it can simply be the adjective form of variety, describing something or someone has having to do with or creating variety. It can also be a wine that is named after the grape it is made from, usually a single kind of grape.

The adverb form is varietally.

Examples

Oceania Riviera won four awards, including “best dining” and “best cabins” in the midsize category for the second year in a row, taking note of the variety of fine dining options, Culinary Center and elegant cabin furnishings. [CNN]

Ancient Tamils are known for producing and consuming several varieties of paddy and millets, which kept them hale and healthy. [The New Indian Express]

Mr Poole said growers needed to think about maturity dates and risk management when making varietal choices. [Queensland Country Life]

They include hard-to-pronounce Hárslevelü and flagship furmint, which is the key varietal in the luscious sweet wines associated with the region. [Bloomberg Business]

He acknowledges that different coffee bean varietals are better suited for different brewing methods and the natural flavour profiles of the various green coffee beans Giles buys will predict how he will roast and brew them. [The Guardian]

Josep always tries to reach across the divide when he’s traveling to embrace wines that don’t necessarily make sense for him to include among his 3,400 wines (requiring some 25 different, varietally specific wine glasses). [Houston Chronicle]