VARIETAL.
Wine made from a single variety of grape.
VARIETY.
Type of grape with distinctive characteristics. All types of grapes belong to the same species: Vitis vinífera. See the epigraph “varieties of grapes”.
VARNISH.
This is a characteristic smell of very old or distilled wines, the result of alcoholic oxidation after a long ageing process in casks.
VELVETY.
Soft, with a rich flavour and silky texture. It is noted especially in red wines.
VIGOROUS.
Used to describe wines with body, well structured and balanced by an appropriate level of acidity. It is also sometimes used to refer to wines with alcoholic content.
VINE STOCK.
Plant. Trunk of the vine, from which the shoots grow.
VINE SHOOT.
Shoot of a vine, from which the leaves and clusters sprout.
VINICULTURIST.
Sometimes used as a synonym for a wine dealer, but it generally designates a wine producer or the owner of a winery.
VINIFICATION.
Series of operations with the purpose of obtaining wine from the must of grapes.
VINTAGE.
The year of the harvest of the wine. It is a date which should feature on the label of every bottle.
VITICULTURE.
Cultivation, science and study of grapes.
VIVACIOUS.
Fresh, bright in colour, with a clean aroma and vitality. WHITE. A white wine is a very light-coloured wine, generally yellow in colour, although this may include a wide range of green and golden shades.
