Vanilla Kaki

This is a Kaki with slight vanilla aroma.

Varela

The Sherry-House Varela was founded by Don Ramon Jimenez Varela. He bought many completely prepared Soleras in Jerez de la Frontera, Puerto de Santa Maria and Sanlucar de Barrameda. Today, they are the base of the today's exported Sherry-wines. In 1912, the sons of the founder took over the company, since that time it has been called Hijos de Jimenez Varela. The company owns considerable stocks of very good sherry-wines; the biggest stock is stored in the big bodegas in Puerto de Santa Maria. One of it is the "King's Bodega", where a Sherry of especially quality is stored. Varela-Sherrys is available in most different taste-directions, like Dry Fino, Medium and Cream.

Vat

Is a storage-barrel.

Vat 69

'Vat 69' is exactly, what the name suggests: a whisky from a barrel (vat) with the number 69. When William Sanderson decided to produce a blended Scotch Whisky in the late 19th century, he composed more than 100 different blends. Then he, together with experienced blend masters and friends, tested each barrel and chose, which one was the best. The choice was clearly made. It was barrel No 69. William Sanderson, born in Leith in 1839, started an apprenticeship with a wine and spirituous liquors producer at the age of 13. In 1863, he already owned his own business and produced liqueurs and whisky-mixtures. In 1880, his son William Mark joined the business. He convinced his father to bottle the different blends. Sanderson already bottled his liqueurs, but he did not like the idea of bottling whisky. His son was finally successful in convincing him. The typical VAT 69 - Bottle was introduced to the market and has not been changed for the next hundred years. In 1884, Sanderson bought the Glengarioch Distillery. It was situated in the middle of a barley field. The distillery was meant to ensure the delivery with grain-whisky. Sanderson took care, that there were always new products to be blended, because DCL, which was a strong society at that time, controlled such a big amount of the production, that it could influence the supply of the competing company very sensitively. Therefore Sanderson, together with Usher and Bell founded a company to produce grain-whisky, which still exists today as the "North British Distillery". Sanderson got a few Malt Whiskies , which he needed to blend his VAT 69, from a friend, John Begg, who owned the "Royal Lochnagar Distillery". When Begg died, Sanderson became director of Begg's Distillery. In 1933, Sanderson's company merged with Booth's Distilleries, which merged again with the DCL-Group in 1935. In autumn 1980, "Vat 69 Reserve" from the House of Sanderson had its world-première in England. Chosen and optimal stored malt whiskies are used to produce this De-Luxe-Whisky. It is a Blend of about 40 Malt and Grain whiskies. The different malts are blended with each other at the optimal ripening stage to ensure the best blend. This means, for example a light malt of eight years, having reached its ripening summit and coming from the Lowlands adds the same result to the blend than a 18 years ripened peat malt from Islay. Therefore, there are no standardised age-descriptions of Vat 69 Reserve. Since autumn 1980, Glenesk, which is a 12 year old Highland Single Malt (40 %), is available from Sanderson in Germany. Glenesk is stored for at least 12 years in Sherry-barrels. Its bouquet is fully ripe, it taste mild and slightly spicy. Since 1964, William Sanderson & Sons Ltd. overlooks the sale of "Antiquary", which is a 12 year old De-Luxe-Scotch-Whisky (40 %), Whisky-products available from Sanderson in Germany are: VAT 69 Finest Scotch Whisky (40 %), VAT 69 Reserve de Luxe Scotch Whisky (40 %). Glenesk Single Malt Highland Scotch 12 Years Old (40 %) and The Antiquary de Luxe Old Scotch Whisky 12 Years Old (40 %).

Vatted Malt

Used to describe the blend of different Malts in Malt-Whisky.

Vecchia Romagna

The brandy Vecchia Romagna is one of the biggest brandy products from Italy. It is produced by the company Buton, which was founded as a wine-distillery in 1820. Vecchia Romagna "Etichetta Nera" has been stored in limousine-oak barrels for three years, before it is offered for sale. Vecchia Romagna "Etichetta Oro" is sold after seven years of storage. Alcohol content: 40 %.

Védrenne

The company Védrenne Pére furthermore two excellent Marc de Bourgogne, Très Vieux Marc Egrappe (45 %) and Eau-de-vie de Marc Hospices de Beaune (45 %).

Vénérable

Discription of old spirituous liquors, especially of Calvados.

Verveine du Velay

Auvergne is the home of Verveine du Velay. At the upper Loire, especially in the region around Velay, many plants and herbs grow, like for example vervain (=verveine), which gave the name to the liqueur. Besides the vervain, 32 other plants are necessary to produce Verveine du Velay. In 1859, the liqueur was produced fro the first time by somebody called Monsieur Pagès, who was a distiller in Le Puy. Since that time, the recipe has been passed on from father to son for five generations. Until these days, the mixture proportions of spirit and cognac with sugar, honey and 33 herbs are secret. Cognac is mixed with spirits from Midi to produce Verveine du Velay. The herbs stay in the alcohol for more than 20 days to pass on their natural aroma to the alcohol. Distillation takes place in cooper distilling stills. After 24 hours, a 90 % - alcohol is produced, the "Soul" of the liqueur. Yellow or green Verveine de Velay is mixed out of it with the help of sugar or honey. Both liqueurs ripen afterwards in barrels for at least ten months. The yellow liqueur is mild, sweet and contains 43 % of alcohol, the green one is strong and contains more alcohol (55 %).

Veuve Clicquot

La Veuve Clicquot was one of the famous widows of the Champagne-history. Her and Veuve Pommery were the first French businesswoman, who had a big career. Madame Cliquot lived from 1777 to 1866. This is also the time of the big raise of champagne-production. Despites revolution and Napoleon's wars, the production of Champagne became a serious economic branch. La Veuve Clicquot took over the business of the House, founded in 1772, in 1805, after her husband, the champagne-trader François Clicquot, died after two years of marriage. Nicole-Barbe Cliquot, a born Ponsard and well-protected patrician's daughter, was very young, but already clever enough to select excellent experts to become her partners. She is supposed to have invented the so-called shaker's place, together with the German cellar master Miller, which is still important in the champagne production of today. The bottles are place with their head pointing down in this instrument, and each day they are raised and turned a bit more upwards. After three month, they are nearly in a vertical position, and the fermentation's remains is collected in the bottle's neck, where it can easily be removed. The champagne is crystal clear, and soon there was hardly a producer not producing after the Madame Clicquot's methode. Whether Madame Clicquot has really been the first "shaker" is disputed. It is possible, that Ruinart had worked with similar means earlier. But not disputable is, that Clicquot has been the first House working systematically with shaking instrument. And it is supposed, that this also explains, that Madame Clicquot has been the first getting the removal of the yeast from the champagne right. Closly linked to the history of Clicquot are names like Kessler and Werle. Georg Kessler from Heilbronn did not only learn the art of champagne-distillation while staying with the widow, but also took over her House in 1824. But after Kessler got married, his relation to the Madame got worse. Finally, he went back to Germany and found the first German Sparkling Wine Cellars in 1826. Eduard Werle from Hattersheim at the river Main, became descendant of Kessler, he stayed in France, became a French, called himself Werlé and finally ended up being the major of Reims. Together with his son, Dike Werlé, he lead the House Clicquot to the top of French champagne-cellars. When Madame Clicquot died in 1866, the Werlés became the only owners of the House. Quality was highest priority for Werlé as it has been for the Veuve Clicquot, which did not change until today. None of the used wines at Veuve Clicquot is marked under 97 %. Available from Veuve Clicquot-Ponsard in Germany are: Demi-Sec, Brut, Brut Carte d'Or Vintage, Brut Rosée Vintage, La Grande Dame Vintage.

Vielle Abbaye

The distillery la Vielle Abbaye is situated in Deves, which is a town not far away from the noble seaside resort Deauville. The heart of Normunder and of Calvodus is situated around Deves: in "Pays d'Auge". Pays d'Auge has the highest quality within the different quality-steps (Appellation Controlée) of the Calvados. The best "Crus" of the cider are produced here; and they are distilled twice in traditional copper stills according to the prescriptions. The long ripening time of Calvados takes place in oak-barrels. There was never an Abbey, where the distillery "Distillery de la Vieille Appaye" is situated today. The distillery got its name from a wine-trader's shop "La Vieille Abbaye", which was situated on this place before. The only things, that reminds on a Abbey is: The director of Distillery is called "Père Abbé" inside of the distillery. The Vieille Abbaye Calvados du Pays d'Auge is availabe in Germany as quality V.S.O.P. (43 %), Hors d'Age (42 %) and 25 Ans d'Age (42 %).

Vieux, vieil, vieille

Old. Mostly to be found on labels of Calvados, Armagnac, Cognac etc.

Vinasse

It is a description of the age of at least four years stored Cognac, invented by Richard Hennessy. The short for "Very Superior Old Product" is interpreted in a funny way in France saying "Versez sans oublier personne" - "pour out and do not forget anybody".

Vinjak

Jugoslawische Bezeichnung für Weinbrand

Vintage

describing the years of growing of wine, mainly to be found an Champagne-bottles or Port-bottles. Vintage are always excellent.

Vodka

The Russian national drink Vodka (German: Wodka, Wasserchen) comes from Poland originally. The word actually described different waters being healthy. The exact time of the first alcoholic distillation is unknown. But it is for sure, that the wood needed for the distillation caused a pretty big lack of fire wood for the people in towns. In former times, Vodka was hardly known outside of Russia and Poland. But after World War I, Russian Immigrants started a relatively small Vodka-production outside of their former home-country. Production and sale was mainly focused on Berlin in Germany at the beginning. The Vodka-era of the western world finally started the last 20 years ago. In the US, which is the classical country of mixed drinks, Vodka replaced Gin more and more, because Russian spirituous liquors suited better to American drinking habits. German regulations say, that the spirit-Vodka has to be produced from alcohol and/ or grain-distillates according to special procedures and/ or by using a few additional products. Special procedures or additions have to show the characteristics of the Vodka clearly, especially the smoothness of the taste. Special procedure means the technique of filtration. Charcoal-filtration is usually preferred among the different possibilities. Basic ingredients of the vodka-production are mainly barley, rye, wheat or potatoes. The choice of the basic ingredients does hardly have any importance, because nearly all taste-substances get lost through the distillations and rectified. Aim of the vodka production is, unlike other spirituous liquors, to get a pure, smooth neutral-tasting product. Vodka is stored in glass- or stone containers, if at all. No storage time is prescribed for German products. The last step of production, before the product is bottled, is to reduce Vodka to its drinking strength by adding water. Vodka contains at least 40 % of alcohol in Germany, but stronger Vodkas are available, as well. Besides in its traditional countries Russia and Poland, Vodka is also produced in Finland, Germany, Italy, England, France, Canada and US in big productions. Besides the clear, neutral Vodka, aromatised kinds are produced, too. Most known is the Zubrowka, a yellowish Vodka, which is aromatised by adding cumarin-containing buffalo grass (Buffalo blade of grass) in Poland and Buffalo grass extracts in Russia. The name Zubrowka (Zubravka) comes from "Zubr", which is polish for wild bull (Bison, Wisent). Less alcohol containing Vodkas, mixed with mandarin, lemon, grapefruit or apple are also available in Germany.