"V" in wine glossary

Varietal

Wines made from a single grape variety.

Vermouth

A fortified wine that has been flavoured with as many as 40 herbs and spices.

Vertical and horizontal wine tasting

In a vertical tasting, different vintages of the same wine type from the same winery are tasted. This emphasizes differences between various vintages. In a horizontal tasting, the wines are all from the same vintage but are from different wineries. Keeping wine variety or type and wine region the same helps emphasize differences in winery styles.

Vigneron

French for vine grower.

Vin

French for wine.

Viña

Spanish for vineyard.

Vine

A plant on which grapes grow.

Vinegar

A sour-tasting, highly acidic, liquid made from the oxidation of ethanol in wine, cider, beer, fermented fruit juice, or nearly any other liquid containing alcohol.

Vineyard

A place where grape vines are grown for wine making purposes.

Vinho

Portuguese for wine.

Vinho verde

An effervescent white wine produced in Portugal.

Viniculture

The art and science of making wine. Also called enology (or oenology). Not to be confused with viticulture.

Vinification

The process of making grape juice into wine.

Vino

Italian and Spanish, Originally derived from Latin, for wine.

Vintage

The year in which a particular wine's grapes were harvested. When a vintage year is indicated on a label, it signifies that all the grapes used to make the wine in the bottle were harvested in that year.

Viticulture

The cultivation of grapes. Not to be confused with viniculture.

Vitis labrusca

A breed of grapes native to North America. See also Foxy.

Vitis vinifera

A breed of grapes native to Europe.

Volatile acidity: The level of acetic acid present within a wine.