V.A.

Volatile Acidity. All wines have a tiny amount of V.A., usually, with any luck, imperceptible. In excess, V.A. causes a wine to have an unpleasantly sharp, vinegary aroma. Volatile acidity occurs because unwanted bacteria have produced acetic acid, the result of poor winemaking.

What is scuppernong?

A. The plastic material that barrel bungs are made from

B. A local South African name for chenin blanc

C. A vine disease that can affect grapevines that have been exposed to extreme heat

D. A grape native to the American south

Scuppernong grapes are extremely large, round, greenish-bronze grapes that belong to the North American species Vitis rotundifolia, also known as the muscadine species. The name comes from the Scuppernong River in North Carolina, along which the grapes once grew profusely. Scuppernong grapes are, in fact, the state’s official fruit. They were first cultivated in the 17th century. Today, home winemakers in the South often use scuppernongs, although many consider the grapes better-suited to jelly than wine.

Thiol

The compound found in the skins of some sauvignon blanc grapes that leads to passion fruit aromas in the wine. Thiols are particularly prevalent in New Zealand sauvignon blancs.

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