Definition

Noun: - Wine containing not more than 14 percent alcohol, typically served with a meal: Table wine is a classification for wine of moderate alcohol content, intended for everyday consumption with food rather than for special occasions or sipping alone.

Usage

Table wine is a general term for standard, non-fortified wine. It is the most common type of wine found in stores and served in restaurants alongside meals. - The restaurant's house table wine is a pleasant red blend. - For a casual dinner, we picked up an inexpensive bottle of table wine.

Advanced Usage

• Legal/Regional Classification: In some regions (e.g., the European Union), "table wine" is a specific legal category denoting wine produced outside stricter appellation rules. It is often labeled as "Vin de Table" (France) or "Vino da Tavola" (Italy).
  • The early "Super Tuscan" wines were famously classified as simple table wine despite their high quality.

Variants and Related Words

• House wine: A specific table wine selected by a restaurant to be served by the glass or carafe.
• Fortified wine: A contrasting category; wine with added spirits (e.g., brandy), raising the alcohol content above 14% (e.g., port, sherry).

Synonyms

• Dinner wine
• Everyday wine

Antonyms

• Fortified wine
• Dessert wine (often sweeter and sometimes fortified)
• Sparkling wine (e.g., Champagne, Prosecco)

Noun

1. wine containing not more than 14 percent alcohol usually served with a meal