The objective of this manual is to provide ampelographers with a practical tool that facilitates the description and characterization of species and varieties of the genus Vitis. It is based on the latest version of the list of descriptors of the OIV (2009) and it contains a total of 41 cards with detailed pictures, and 59 descriptors, including those recommended by the experts to make a good description of Vitis species, as well as other characters that could be subjective to evaluate.