Glossary of Wine Terms - V

V

Varietal
Wines made from a single grape variety.
VC
Abbreviation for the Spanish term vino comarcal denoting a local wine similar to a vin de pays in France.
VDL
Abbreviation for the French term vin de liqueur denoting a wine that has been fortified prior to fermentation
VDLT
Abbreviation for the Spanish term vino de la tierra denoting a "country wine" similar to the VDQS system of France.
VDN
Abbreviation for the French term vin doux naturel denoting a wine that has been fortified during fermentation.
VDQS
Abbreviation for the French Vin Délimité de Qualité Supérieure system that ranks below Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) but above Vin de pays (country wine).
VDT
Abbreviation for the Italian term vino da tavola denoting a table wine.
Vendange tardive
French term denoting a late harvest wine.
Vermouth
An aromatized wine that is made with wormwood and potentially other ingredients.
Vertical wine tasting
In a vertical tasting, different vintages of the same wine type from the same winery are tasted, such as a winery's Pinot Noir from five different years. This emphasizes differences between various vintages for a specific wine. In a horizontal tasting, the wines are all from the same vintage but are from different wineries or microclimates.
Vieilles vignes
Literally "old vines" in French, sometimes written as an acronym V.V. It is worth noting there is no official or legal definition of "Vieilles vignes" in any of the wine regions of France; it is not a regulated term. Thus, "Vieilles vignes" can be added to a label by wine makers as they see fit.
Vigneron
French for vine grower.
Vignoble
French term for a "vineyard"
Vin
French for wine.
Viña
Spanish for vines.
Vino
Italian for wine
Vin de garde
French term for a wine with the potential to improve with age.
Vin de glace
French term for an ice wine.
Vin de pays
French classification system denoting wines that are above vin de table but below VDQS.
Vin de table
French term denoting a table wine, the lowest classification of the French AOC system.
Viñedo
Spanish for vineyard
Vinho
Portuguese for wine.
Vinho regional
The lowest level of the Portuguese classification system. Similar to a vin de pays.
Vin mousseux
Generic French term for a sparkling wine.
Vin nouveau
French term similar to Vin primeur denoting a very young wine meant to be consumed within the same vintage year it was produced. Example: Beaujolais nouveau.
Vin ordinaire
French term used to denote an "ordinary wine" as opposed to a premium quality wine.
Vino
Italian and Spanish, Originally derived from Latin, for wine.
Vino da tavola
Italian term for "table wine"
Vino de mesa
Spanish term for "table wine"
Vino novello
Italian term for a Vin primeur
Vinous
A term used to denoting anything relating to wine.
Vintage
Vintage is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product. A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year.

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