The Cooking Inn : Wine Terminology V PageSelect a name from the list to go to it's site
Varietal:
A type of grape variety. Chardonnay, merlot, riesling, etc. are all varietals. (See entries for Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Chardonnay, Gamay, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Pinot Blanc, Pinto Grigio (Pinot Gris), Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah (Shiraz), Viognier, and Zinfandel).
Vegetal:
Some wines contain elements in their smell and taste which are reminiscent of plants and vegetables. In Cabernet Sauvignon a small amount of this vegetal quality is said to be part of varietal character. But when the vegetal element takes over, or when it shows up in wines in which it does not belong, those wines are considered flawed. Wine scientists have been able to identify the chemical constituent that makes wines smell like asparagus and bell peppers.
Velvety:
Possessing admirable texture.
Venencia:
A cylindrical container at the end of a long, fine strip of whalebone or a fine metal rod; dipped into a barrel through bunghole to draw a sample.
Varaison:
The stage when grapes begin to soften and gain color.
Verbesserte:
Pertaining to a wine in which fermentation has been enhanced by addition of sugar before or during fermentation; literally imporoved; the process is called verbesserung, imporving.
Vert:
A wine too young to be drunk; literally, green.
Vinometer:
An instrument for measuring percentage of alcohol in wine.
Vinosiy:
The combined characteristics of a wine; its balance of body, bouquet and flavor.
Vinous:
A descriptive term meaning like wine.
Vintage:
The year in which the grapes for a given wine were harvested. Most wines carry a vintage date, though not all. Non-vintage sparkling wines and Champagnes, for example, are blends of grapes from different harvests.
Vintner:
Translates as wine merchant, but generally indicates a wine producer/or winery proprietor.
Viognier:
The classic (though rare) white grape of the northern Rhone Valley of France where it makes the expensive wine known as Condrieu. In the early 1990s, more than thirty top California producers began making viognier to much acclaim. The wine has an opulent, lush body and dramatic honeysuckle, white melon and jasmine flavors.
Viticulture:
The science of grape growing.
Volatile:
Said of a wine with an excessive amount of volatile acidity. Wines with too much volatile acidity have an unpleasant, sharp vinegary aroma.
