perlé, noun

/pɜːˈleɪ/
Origin:
French, GermanShow more French perlé beaded, set with pearls, perhaps from French perlant or abbreviation German perlwein slightly sparkling wine.
An off-dry, semi-sweet, slightly sparkling wine. Also attributive.
[1845 Cape of G.H. Almanac & Annual Register (advt)Light and strong Sherries, Lachryma Christae, (Frontignac white and red muscadel or Perle Constantia) and the genuine Constantia wines.]
[1973 Brink & Hewitt ad. Aristophanes’s The Birds. 4Every now and then he gets a hankering for a bit of boerewors or mieliepap or a drop of perlies or something — all these worms and goggas every day don’t agree with him.]
1977 E.H. Bolsmann S. Afr. Wine Dict.Perlant, French term for slightly sparkling wine. Perlé Wine, The same as perlant, slightly effervescent as distinct from sparkling wines...Perlwein, German term for white semi-sparkling wine made in a pressure tank which retains carbon dioxide generated by fermentation.
1979 E. Prov. Herald 20 Mar.Witzenberg Late Harvest and Perle R1,55.
1981 Time 7 Dec. (Liquor Suppl.)We have had appreciable success in introducing perlé wines in East London and in South West Africa.
1982 Time 29 Nov. (Wine & Spirit Report)Some time ago we developed the low alcohol perlé type of wine, which we hope will fill a gap in the local market and overseas.
1982 Signature Jan. 25Then came the launch of the Cellar Cask, followed by a whole host of bag-in-box wines...These factors, together with the revival of perlé wine and..Crackling in particular, have brought wine sales to a figure exceeding 201000000 litres during the twelve months ending August, 1981.
1985 Drum Oct. 7Autumn Harvest Crackling. A delightfully fruity, perlé wine with all the quality which makes the Autumn Harvest range so popular.
c1990 J. Platter S. Afr. Wine Guide 295Sparkling and Perlé Wines.
An off-dry, semi-sweet, slightly sparkling wine. Also attributive.
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French
German
peri-peri, piri-piri, adjectiveadj. & nounn.perlemoen, nounn.
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