Wine Glossary and Pronunciation Guide
Even the most seasoned wine aficionados occasionally 'come a cropper' when it comes to wine's fancy lexis. I personally have had too many 'lost in translation' moments (especially when it comes to all those French wine words…) and often wished I'd had a nifty little glossary and pronunciation guide like this to hand!
Tannins, lees stirring Gewurztraminer and Nebuchadnezzar...they are all explained here.
- Racking
- The process of transferring wine from one container, such as a barrel, to another for clarification, leaving the sediment behind.
- Racy
- A tasting term generally referring to a refreshing style of wine with lively acidity and a tart juicy flavour.
- Rancio
- An imprecise tasting term that describes a distinctive style of (usually fortified) wine that has been intentionally oxidized or exposed to heat. Examples of wines showing rancio include some Madeiras and Australian liqueur muscats. Etymologically derived from the same root as the word "rancid", rancio wines have a pungent smell of overripe fruit and nuts..
- Raisiny
- Having the taste of raisins from ultra-ripe or overripe grapes. A raisiny quality is often desirable in late-harvest wines, however is a flaw in a table wine.
- Recorking
- The practice of replacing corks that have become fragile during extended cellaring. Once the old cork is removed, the bottle may be topped up with wine from the same or a similar vintage and a new cork inserted.
- Reduced
- Commonly used to describe a wine that has not been exposed to air and has developed pungent aromas due to reductive chemical reactions (as opposed to oxidation). These aromas usually dissipate after exposure to air (e.g. opening the bottle).
- Rehoboam
- An extra large bottle holding 4.5 litres of wine, or the equivalent of 6 standard, 750ml wine bottles.
- Reserva
- A term for 'reserve' in Spain (and Chile and Argentina) and a quality classification. Red reserva wines must be aged a minimum of three years, with a minimum of one year in oak, prior to release. In Chile and Argentina, the term isn't legally defined so it is used at the winemaker's discretion.
- Reserve
- An unregulated term on Australian and US wine labels which should indicate a producer's highest quality wine from its best vineyards (or the 'best wine of the lot'). However, the term can also be used arbitrarily by producers as a simple marketing technique regardless of a wine's quality or origin.
- Residual Sugar
- The unfermented grape sugar in finished wine; measured in grams per litre of wine. The more the residual sugar the sweeter the wine. A bone dry wine will contain less than 2 grams per litre residual sugar. However, it should be noted that the perception of sweetness can be influenced by other elements in a wine, such as acid, tannin and fruit ripeness.
- Resveratrol
- A natural compound found in the skins of red wine grapes as well as in other foods such as peanuts and blueberries. It is a polyphenol which believed to be the source of wine's health benefits. Studies have linked resveratrol with improved heart health as well as reduced risk of age related degeneration, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, blindness, cancer, obesity and type 2 diabetes.
- Retsina
- A unique and ancient style of wine produced in Greece. Pine resin is added to white or rosé wine during fermentation to protect the wine from oxidation. Retsina is typically quite pungent and not to everyone's taste, however it pairs well with Greek cuisine and is served well chilled.
- Rheingau ('rine-gow')
- A distinguished German wine region along the Rhine where steep vineyards face directly south along an east-west stretch of the river. The Riesling grape flourishes particularly well on these dry, stony slopes where it develops elegant fruity acids and spicy aromas. The neighboring Rheinhessen (Rine-HESS'n) and Rheinpfalz (Rine-PFALTZ, sometimes abbreviated to "Pfalz") regions are also well regarded.
- Rhône ('rone')
- A great French wine region along the river of the same name. The Northern Rhône is the home of the Syrah grape (aka Shiraz), which makes small amounts of premium, full flavoured, fleshy red wines in the appellations of Hermitage, Crozes Hermitage, Cornas, Côte-Rôtie and St Joseph. The most notable white wines are produced in Condrieu from the Viognier grape. The warmer Southern Rhône is home to the Grenache grape and produces a huge amount of wine (much of it inexpensive, but usually good value) in the Côtes du Rhône. Higher quality (and more expensive) wines are produced in Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Rasteau.
- Rias Baixas ('ree-ahs buy-shuss')
- A wine region in the Galicia region of north western Spain, which has a lush terrain and cool, damp climate (unlike the rest of the country's wine regions). Rias Baixas is known for its white wine made from the Albariño variety.
- Ribera del Duero ('ree-BEHR-ah dell doo-AY-roe')
- A region in central Spain and one of the countries best for producing wine; particularly intense, deeply coloured, full-bodied red wines based on the Tempranillo grape.
- Rich
- A term used to describe wines with generous, concentrated flavours, from fruit and/or oak, typically balanced with higher alcohol and glycerin.
- Riddling
- A stage in the traditional champagne method of making sparkling wines, called "rémuage" in French, developed by Madame Clicquot (Veuve Clicquot) in the early 1800s. It is the process of shaking the wine bottles in order to dislodge the lees sediment, remaining from the second fermentation, and shifting it towards the cork. The bottles are placed in a horizontal position in wooden racks and are then 'riddled' by twisting them every few days and gradually tilting them upside-down so that the sediment works its way to the bottle neck in preparation for disgorging. Learn more about making champagne and sparkling wine here.
- Riesling ('ree-zling')
- The classic white wine grape variety from the Rhine region in Germany. Riesling is a noble grape variety of purity and precision that faithfully reflects the characteristics of the site it which it is grown (its 'terrior'). Accordingly, it has a wide style profile and produces some of the world's finest, most long-lived white wines. Styles range from bone dry to intensely sweet. Typical aromas and flavours include lemon, lime, green apple, apricot, honey, kerosine, flowers and mineral notes. The greatest examples are produced in Germany, where they are usually made slightly sweet, with strong, steely acidity for balance. Alsace, in France, also produces excellent Rieslings, though usually in a different style, which is drier and more floral and perfumed. Generally, Riesling has not adapted as well as the other classic grape varieties to the New World. However, notable exceptions are the Eden and Clare Valleys in South Australia, some cooler regions of Australia and New Zealand's South Island. Eden and Clare Valley Rieslings are dry and crisp with racy lime and lemon acidity in their youth and develop a minerally, keroseney character with age. The German prädikat system classifies Rieslings into categories based on ripeness of the grapes: Kabinett, Spätlese, Auslese, Beerenauslese, Eiswein and Trockenbeerenauslese. Discover more about Riesling here.
- Rim
- Where the wine meets the edge of the glass and useful in discerning colour variation in a wine.
- Rioja ('ree-OH-hah')
- A mountainous region in northern Spain which produces, arguably, the country's most well-known red wines. The wines from this region are made primarily from Tempranillo (which is blended with portions of other grapes, such as Garnacha) and are often aged in American oak.
- Ripe
- The stage at which the grapes' many components have reached maturity. As a grape ripens, sugar content increases and acidity decreases. Flavour compounds develop and the stems turn from green to brown, indicating that the tannins in the stems, seeds and skins are softening.
- Riserva
- A term for 'reserve' in Italy and a quality classification indicating that the wine has been aged for an extra period of time prior to release. Regulations vary from one region to another in terms of the exact period and whether wood aging is required, but are always specific. The word Riserva can only be used for DOC or DOCG wines.
- Robust
- Describes a wine that is full-bodied, intense and vigorous; can be a bit overblown. Akin to "big" as a description for a full-bodied, full-flavored wine, but perhaps even more so.
- Rosé ('roe-zay')
- A style of wine made from red wine grapes. Also known as blush wines, rosés are produced by shortening the contact period of red wine juice with its skins, resulting in a light red or pink colour. Rosés range in colour from muted salmon-orange to bright pink, depending on the type of grape or grapes used and the amount of skin contact. Discover more about rosé wines here.
- Round
- A term used to describe a texture in wine which is smooth and full, not sharp or tannic.
- Roussanne ('roo-sahn')
- A white wine grape variety from the Rhône region in France. Along with Marsanne, Roussanne is one of the traditional white varieties of the northern Rhône and is particularly found in Hermitage and Crozes-Hermitages. It is considered a grape of great finesse, yet it rarely appears as a single varietal and is often blended with Marsanne. The aromas of Roussanne are often likened to those of herbal tea and pears and, when fully ripe, delicate honeysuckle. The variety ages well and is also planted in Italy and Australia.
- Rustic
- A term used to describe wines made by old-fashioned methods or tasting like wines made in an earlier era.
