Claret originally meant "clear, pale wine" — nearly the opposite of its dark-red modern meaning — and the Bordeaux wine trade began with a royal marriage in 1152.
A deep purplish-red color. Also British English for red wine from Bordeaux, or historically any light-colored red wine.
From Old French claret (clear, light-colored wine), from clar (clear, bright), from Latin clarus (clear, bright, famous) Key roots: clarus (Latin: "clear, bright, famous"), *kelh₁- (Proto-Indo-European: "to call, shout (possibly)").
Claret originally meant "clear" or "light-colored" wine — the opposite of its modern dark-red association. Medieval claret was closer to what we now call rosé. The word darkened along with the wine: as Bordeaux winemaking techniques evolved and wines became deeper in color, claret followed. The claret trade between Bordeaux and England began when Eleanor of Aquitaine married Henry II in 1152, bringing the wine-producing