Why is claret called claret?

[naivewesod]

How did the red wine claret get its name?

[dlpruk]

The name "Claret" was given to the red wines of Bordeaux by the English merchants who first imported a style of wine callet "Clairet", in French. This is still produced today and is a light-coloured, almost ros� wine, but Claret has come to mean the darker and fuller-flavoured red wines of the Medoc, St Emilion, etc. Claret is only used as the name in Britain, as far as I know; certainly all my American friends speak of "Red Bordeaux".

[Beerman]

Claret is a corruption of the old english or norman french for clear red, the style of wine referred to.