V
- Vanilla
- Aroma and flavor reminiscent of vanilla that is impaired to the wine by new oak barrels.
- Varietal
- When a wine is made from just one grape (no blending), and the wine is named after that same grape, it is called a “varietal”.
- Vegetal
- Green. A negative tasting term, typical of grapes that grow in cool areas and don’t have enough time to fully ripen. They will display aromas and tastes that remind you of bell peppers, asparagus and other vegetables.
- Velvety
- A wine with a mouth feel that is particularly smooth is said to be “velvety” (or “silky”).
- Vendange
- Grape harvest in French.
- Vendange tardive
- “Late harvest” in French. “VT” (for short) is the term used in Alsace to refer to a style of dessert wine where the grapes are allowed to hang on the vine until they start to dehydrate. The process concentrates the sugars of the grapes and creates new flavors in the wine that will be produced from them.
- Vendange verte
- “Green harvest” in French. The removal of grape bunches before they are mature. The rationale behind this practice is to decrease yields.
- Vendemmia
- Italian word for harvest.
- Vendimia
- Spanish word for vintage or year.
- Véraison
- French term adopted in the English literature for viticulture. It defines the period of development of the grapes when they change color.
- Verjus
- French word for unripe grapes.
- Viejo
- Spanish word for old. It refers to wines that have been aged for at least 3 years.
- Vigneron
- French for winegrower (there’s no “winemaker” in the French language).
- Vin
- The French word for wine.
- Vin de garde
- wines for long term aging in the bottle (French term).
- Vinaccia
- Italian word for grape pomace. The skins, stalks, and seeds that remain after the fermentation process.
- Vinho
- The Portuguese word for wine.
- Vino
- The Italian and Spanish word for wine.
- Vino da Tavola
- “Table wine” in Italian. Wines with no designation of origin or grape variety. This classification represents the lowest level of quality in Italy.
- Vintage
- The particular year when the grapes were harvested.
- Viticulture
- The science of growing wine grapes.
- Vitigno
- Italian word for grape variety.
- Vitis Labrusca
- North American native grapes. Catawba and Concord are examples.
- Vitis Vinifera
- The genus of grapes native to Europe. Cabernet sauvignon, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay are a few examples.
- Vivace
- Italian word for lively. A young wine with a minor amount of effervescence. “Perlant” in French.
- Volatile Acidity (VA)
- It refers to the steam distillable acids present in wine, primarily acetic acid but also lactic, formic, butyric, and propionic acids. Its threshold in red wine varies from significantly (depending on the grape variety, style and, of course, the person who is tasting the wine). If the VA is above the sensory threshold, the wine is generally considered undesirable because of their pungent, sour taste.
