Sauternes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of sweet white wine produced in the Sauternais region of Bordeaux, known for its rich flavors and aromas
2. A dessert wine made from grapes affected by noble rot, leading to high sugar concentrations and complex flavors
3. An acclaimed wine celebrated for its golden color and notes of honey, apricot, and peach resulting from late harvesting techniques

Etymology: The French wine region Sauternes, south of Bordeaux, gives its name to a famous sweet white wine made from grapes botrytized by "noble rot". English speakers have long borrowed that name, but the form "sauterne" arose in the United States, where vintners deliberately misspelled it. The singular "sauterne" is the American coinage, and "sauternes" is simply its plural, so the word is the same name the French region bears, only respelled. The reason for the change is commercial rather than linguistic. An American spelling that looked like a generic noun, rather than a French place name, let producers market their own wines under a name that sounded like the original without claiming a French origin. The result is a word whose spelling records a decision by wine sellers rather than any drift in pronunciation or meaning.

Synonyms: sweet wine