When you are tasting this many wines you should really expect to expectorate (spit).
VanillinA wine’s vanillin comes from oak barrels. A little vanillin adds a measure of sweetness and complexity to red wines.
A wine’s varietal character refers to the distinguishing flavor of a grape variety when harvested at the most favorable moment, for example grapefruit in a Sauvignon Blanc.
Vegetal
Many designate a vegetal wine as one harvested from unripe grapes. Others use the term to designate a mature Chardonnay or other wine with a bouquet that reminds one of vegetables instead of fruit.
Velvety
A velvety wine is round, smooth, and soft. It is usually full bodied and elegant. This quality may be due to a high level of glycerol.
Vertical tasting
A vertical tasting compares a single wine, or similar wines over several vintages. Contrast this term with a horizontal tasting.
Vinous
Vinous wines are simply dull. While it can be hard to identify their problem, they are best ignored.
Vintage
A wine’s vintage is the year in which its grapes were harvested. The term also refers to the harvest of that particular year. Be careful, a great vintage is no guarantee of a given wine’s quality. Conversely there are excellent wines produced even in poor vintages.
Viscous
Viscous wines are concentrated with a high level of alcohol, fruit, and glycerol. When they don’t contain enough acidity, they are heavy. But when their acidity balances these other components, they can be great.
Volatile
A volatile wine smells of vinegar due to an excess of acetic acid.
Voluptuous
A voluptuous wine is rich with a seductive flavor.