In a few literary passages, the term “catawba” is deployed not just as a name for a grape or a river but as a distinct color—a hue imbued with the deep, rich tones reminiscent of American viticulture. For example, Sinclair Lewis’s use of “Catawba” in Babbitt [1] suggests a refined, earthy shade that evokes both nature and a uniquely national character. In this way, authors have appropriated the name to color their descriptions with qualities of warmth, complexity, and natural authenticity, marking “catawba” as much more than a geographic or agricultural reference but as an emblematic tint in the literary palette.