Comet Wine
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
A term denoting wine of superior quality. A notion prevailed that the grapes of "comet years," i.e. years lin which remarkable comets appear, are better in flavour than those of other years.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Comet Wine” mean?
A term denoting wine of superior quality. A notion prevailed that the grapes of "comet years," i.e. years lin which remarkable comets appear, are better in flavour than those of other years.
Is “Comet Wine” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.