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1. VA is the Canadian abbreviation for an approved viticultural area, which is a region that has been approved by Canada’s Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA). Wines using VA designations on their labels must meet strict standards and pass certification tests. Currently there are four VAs in British Columbia and three in Ontario. 2. Also an abbreviation for volatile acidity.

One of France’s better winemaking villages, located northeast of château­neuf-du-pape in the southern portion the Rhône region. Vacqueyras was one of the villages entitled to use the Côtes du Rhône-Villages AC but was given its own AC status in 1990. This gave it equal status with Gigondas, a village that had achieved AC status many years earlier. The Vacqueyras AC is best known for its red wines, which generally exhibit dark color, spicy fruit, and enough tannins to age well. The main red-wine grapes are Grenache, Syrah, Cinsaut, and Mourvèdre.

see Chablis

A coastal DOC zone located along the Cornia River south of Livorno in Italy’s Tuscany region. It’s just south of its famous neighbor, the Bolgheri DOC. This area’s attracting a lot of attention, particularly around the subzone of Suvereto, where wines from grapes grown here can use Val di Cornia Suvereto DOC on the label. The quality of Val di Cornia’s wines have improved dramatically since the DOC was approved in 1989. Initially, the DOC included rosso, Rosato, and bianco wines, but … (view more)

see Colli Piacentini

Canton that contains one of Switzerland’s best growing climates—dry and sunny—and is therefore one of the two main growing regions (the other being Vaud). The vineyards are located in the upper valley of the Rhône in the southwestern part of Switzerland not far from the Italian border. Valais produces mostly white wines, and Chasselas (locally known as Fendant) is the dominant grape. Gamay and Pinot Noir are the most popular red grapes in this area. They’re often blended together in a … (view more)

DOC located in the center of Italy’s Lombardy region northeast of Milan and just east of Bergamo. Valcalepio makes a bianco wine from Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco (Pinot Blanc), and Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris); a rosso from Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon; and a passito wine from Moscato (Muscat). The best wines come from the vineyards next to the Franciacorta DOCG, along the Oglio River.

This DOC, which covers vineyards scattered throughout northeastern Italy’s Trentino-Alto Adige region and into the Veneto region, is considered the lowest-quality DOC in the Adige valley. Valdadige (Etschtaler in German) has four varietal wines—Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco (Pinot Blanc), Pinot Grigio (Pinot Gris), and Schiava—and three basic wines—bianco, rosso, and Rosato. The bianco, Rosso, and Rosato wines, which can be dry or amabile, have many approved varieties from which they can be made.

A DO of about 3,800 vineyard acres located in the mountainous area east of the town of Orense in the Galica region in northwestern Spain. Valdeorras produces mostly red wines made primarily from Alicante (Grenache) and much of it is sold off in bulk. The Mencía grape is now being planted in larger numbers, and wines made from it are gaining a following and are more likely to show up with a Valdeorras DO label. White wines are made mainly from Palomino grapes, which produce rather ordinary … (view more)

A large DO located south of Madrid in the southern part of Spain’s Castilla-La Mancha region. The Valdepeñas DO, which is named after the town of the same name, is almost fully surrounded by the huge La Mancha DO. Traditionally, Valdepeñas (“valley of stones”) is best known for a wine that’s been made here for centuries—clarete, a light red wine made from both red (Cencibel or Tempranillo) grapes and white (Airén) grapes. Even though Airén grapes are planted in more than 80 … (view more)