vinify

[ vin-uh-fahy ]

verb (used with object)

, vin·i·fied, vin·i·fy·ing.

1. to produce (a type of wine) by vinification:

   to vinify champagne entirely from white grapes.

2. to convert (grapes or other fruit) into wine.

verb (used without object)

, vin·i·fied, vin·i·fy·ing.

1. to make wine.
2. to undergo the winemaking process:

   Some juices vinify more quickly than others.

Word History and Origins

Origin of vinify¹

First recorded in 1965–70; vini- + -fy

Example Sentences

“I found the six best varieties, and to vinify it is exactly the same process as the grapes.”

From Washington Times

But he conceded that the grape was not easy to vinify and one must employ “great delicacy in pressing” to avoid accentuating the variety’s herbaceous notes and often pronounced acidity.

From Wall Street Journal

Instead of blending the grapes from the various parcels, as his father did and as has been the custom in Cahors, he now vinifies them separately and aims for grace rather than force.

From New York Times

These he’ll harvest and vinify together, making field blends that are, to his mind, as distinctive as a fingerprint.

From Los Angeles Times