steen, noun

/stɪən/, /stiːn/
Forms:
Often with initial capital.
Origin:
South African DutchShow more South African Dutch, elliptical for steendruiven, steen stone + druiven grapes.
Note:
Used interchangeably with the word stein by some.
1. In full steen wine: a wine made from steen grapes (see sense 2); cf. stein sense 1. Also attributive. See also Cape wine.
1798 S.H. Wilcocke tr. of J.S. Stavorinus’s Voy. to E. Indies I. 545Next to the genuine constantia, the wines called muscadel, and steen-wine are esteemed the best.
1804 R. Percival Acct of Cape of G.H. 188The Steen wine has a sparkling quality and tartish taste, something like Vin de Grave, but much inferior in flavour.
1806 Gleanings in Afr. (anon.) 224The Steen wine made here is of a superior quality.
1832 Graham’s Town Jrnl 24 Aug. 135Old Rough Pontac, Steen, and other Cape Wines.
1920 K.M. Jeffreys tr. of Memorandum of Commissary J.A. de Mist 204The Cape grapes,..produce..various other kinds of very healthy and delicious wines, known under the names of Cape Madeira,..steen wine, vintint and others.
1968 C.J. Orffer in D.J. Opperman Spirit of Vine 100The memorandum drawn up by De Mist in Holland in 1802 contained the following significant wine data: Cape grapes produced, apart from the world-famous Constantia wine, other and delicious [wines] under the names: Cape Madeira, Cape Malaga, medicinal wines, Steen wine, Vintint, [etc.].
1975 E. Prov. Herald 20 Feb. 2Experts say that except for the Steen, all have tremendous potential for improvement if laid down for a number of years.
1986, 1988 [see stein sense 1].
2. A common white grape, the French ‘Chenin Blanc’ cultivar; the vine producing this grape; stein sense 2. Also attributive.
1887 S.W. Silver & Co.’s Handbk to S. Afr. 222A pale, light wine, with a sub-acid, grateful flavour, somewhat resembling Hock, may be made from the Steen grape (with a small addition of Green grape).
a1918 Off. Yr Bk of Union No. 2, 1918 439 (Swart)Wine-making — Green Grape, Hanepoot, Hermitage, Steen etc.
1966 H. Beck Meet Cape Wines (2nd ed.) 11The stein (or steen) was rapidly approaching the position it holds today of being one of the most valuable of our table wine grapes.
1972 M.S. Leroux in Std Encycl. of Sn Afr. 306Van Riebeeck’s first modest vintage, pressed on 2 Feb., 1659, consisted mainly of the crop gathered from two-year-old Muscadel vines and another white variety of round grape which could have been Steen or ‘White French’ grapes.
1979 S. Afr. Digest May 11The most common white cultivar, the Steen (or Chenin Blanc), varies widely from the full and robust to the off dry and light, as it is grown widely throughout the Cape and illustrates the result of different climatic and soil conditions on a cultivar.
1980 J. Platter Bk of S. Afr. Wines 65Stein, Semi-sweet white usually a blend and often confused with steen, a grape variety, though most stein style wines are made at least partly from steen grapes.
1988 D. Hughes et al. Complete Bk of S. Afr. Wine 96Chenin Blanc, or Steen. For years this cultivar was known as Steen in South Africa and was believed to be unique to the Cape. In 1965..it was established that the Steen cultivar was identical to the French variety, Chenin Blanc — since then, both names have been recognised.
In full steen wine:a wine made from steen grapes (see sense 2);
A common white grape, the French ‘Chenin Blanc’ cultivar; the vine producing this grape; stein sense 2. Also attributive.
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