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The redwinebuzz.com glossary compiles commonly occurring wine tasting jargon as well as terminology unique to the world of wine. This includes terms relevant to growing and production of wine. Where possible, we also provide a guide to pronouncing these names. See our Pronunciation Guide for an explanation of the notation. Browsing the glossary can be very informative. At redwinebuzz.com we firmly believe that even casual perusing of the material can be an active learning process. |
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Raw: (tasting term). Describes a young and undeveloped wines. Also used in describing wines high in tannins, alcohol or acidity. Barrel samples of wine usually are raw.
Raisiny: (tasting term). Describes a wine characterized by the smell or flavor of raisins. Typical of late-harvest wines made of overripe, dried-out grapes. Desirable in some ports and sherries, but considered a major flaw in a dinner wine.
Racking: (wine making term). The process of transferring wine from one container (usually a barrel) to another to separate the juice from solid elements. In white wines, it is performed before fermentation (separation of the juice from the lees, although some wines can be aged sur lie). In making red wines, it is done after fermentation (separation of wine from pomace). This process results in the solids being left behind in the first barrel (if performed carefully). The result is a partially clarified wine. Also written: ‘Raking’.
Raking: Separating grape juice from solid elements, before fermentation (in the case of white wine) and separating wine from the pomace (in the case of red wine). Also written: ‘Racking’.
Remuage: (French wine making term). [RE-moo-AHDZH] [?] Translated literally to mean "re-wetting". The process of moving the lees from the finished sparking wine during which the bottle is gradually rotated and inverted from a 45° angle into a neck-down position. With each movement, the bottle is tapped to help move the lees into the top of the neck. The process takes approximately eight weeks when done by hand but can be done in eight days by a computer-operated machine called a Gyropalette. Called "riddling" in English. (more detail about sparkling wines)
Residual sugar: (wine making term). Refers to the amount of sugar remaining in the wine after fermentation. Residual sugar may be due to a high must weight, or fermentation stopping before all the sugar has been converted into alcohol. The latter may be intentional and is achieved with the addition of sulfur or alcohol spirits. Most wines (table wines) have less than 2 g/l (grams per liter) of residual sugar. Sweet, desert style wines contain higher residual sugar.
Resveratrol: (trans-3,5,4'-trihydroxystilbene) [res-VER-ah-TROL] [?] A compound found in the skins of red grapes, but also in eucalyptus, spruce, and lily, and in other foods such as mulberries and peanuts. Of these, it occurs in the highest concentration in the skins of Vitis vinifera, and Vitis labrusca grapes. It is quite the buzz of the scientific and wine communities because of recent research indicating it as the possible cause of the French Paradox. The release of resveratrol requires fermentation. Its concentration in the wine must is proportional to the time the skins spend in contact with the wine and increases with ethanol concentration. Furthermore, its concentration after malolactic fermentation is about double that present after completion of alcoholic fermentation (theorized to be released from some bound form by way of enzymes in the malolactic bacteria) [abstract]. Grape juice, because it has not undergone fermentation, does not contain significant levels of resveratrol. It has been identified as an antioxidant and anti-platelet aggregation (anti-clotting) agent and indicated in helping reduce the incidence of Coronary Heart Disease and stroke, reduce the incidence of stomach ulcers caused by the bacteria helicobacter pylori, improve bone density for post-menopausal women, reduce prostate enlargement in men, reduce the risk of diabetes or at least lower insulin resistance, improve dental health and delay growth of some tumors and leukemias (more). Resveratrol’s chemical structure also resembles diethylstilbestrol (a synthetic estrogen) which suggests it may be a good phytoestrogen (a plant-derived compound which acts like estrogen). This is a double-edged sword: the phytoestrogen properties make for an alternative for women requiring hormone replacement, but as an estrogen analog it can encourage the growth of human breast cancer cells. What is most important to know currently is that while a there is some acknowledged health benefit to the consumption of red wine, the studies giving the above mentioned results are in vitro studies (performed in a controlled environment of a laboratory and outside of a living organism) and more studies in whole organisms (animal models and ultimately humans) are necessary to provide conclusive proof. In the meantime, one must apply moderation to avoid alcoholism and alcohol-related disease.
Rhône: [ROHN] [?] This important French wine region can neatly be divided into two parts. The Northern Rhône is the home of the Syrah grape (Shiraz), which makes full flavored, meaty, structured red wines in the Appellations of Hermitage, Crozes Hermitage, Cornas, Côte-Rôtie and St Joseph. White wines are also produced there, the most well know of which is Condrieu, made from the Viognier grape. Because quantities of wine produced in the Northern Rhône are small and quality is good, prices are invariably high. In contrast, the warmer Southern Rhône produces a huge amount of wine, much of it inexpensive Côtes du Rhône from the Grenache grape. More ambitious are the wines of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas, Vacqueyras and Rasteau, which are often of very good quality. Typical Rhône varietals are: Carignane, Cinsault, Counoise, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah (Durif), Syrah, Marsanne, Roussanne and Viognier although there are 21 varietlals recognized.
Rhône Rangers: A group of California winemakers who were the first to experiment with Rhône varietals in California in the 1970s. By the late 1980’s, they were beginning to organize and a formal organization was founded in 1997 as “The Rhône Rangers”. The group has since grown to over 130 wineries. No longer confined to California, the organization now has members in Arizona, Idaho, New York, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and other states. The red grapes making up the Rhône Ranger palette are: Carignane, Cinsault, Counoise, Grenache, Mourvedre, Petite Sirah (also known as Durif, it was added to the list in 2002) and Syrah. The, white grapes cultivated by Rhône Rangers are: Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne. There are also dry rosés produced from the red grapes. There are 21 recognized Rhône varietals. According to Rhône Ranger statues, wines whose make up is at least 75% Rhône varietals my bear the name Rhône Ranger or Rhône Blend.
Rich: (tasting term). Describes a wine with generous, full flavors. For a dry wine, this term indicates complex flavors with oaky or vanilla components. When applied to sweet wines, it indicates that the wine is characterized by ripe, fruity flavors.
Riddling: (wine making term). The process of moving the lees from the finished sparking wine during which the bottle is gradually rotated and inverted from a 45° angle into a neck-down position. With each movement, the bottle is tapped to help move the lees into the top of the neck. The process takes approximately eight weeks when done by hand but can be done in eight days by a computer-operated machine called a Gyropalette. Called "remuage" in French. (more detail about sparkling wines)
Ripe: (tasting term). Describes a wine made of grapes which reached optimal maturity. This is the sweet spot between underripe, and overripe.
Ripeness: The condition when the grapes have achieved both Physiological Ripeness and Sugar Ripeness. It is a rare year when grapes are perfectly ripe physiologically and with respect to sugar levels. Wines from such years are exceptional and highly sought-after. See also: Physiological Ripeness and Sugar Ripeness.
Rootstock: The ball of roots of a vine. This is a significant term because of Phylloxera vastatrix (a vine louse or aphid infesting the roots of the affected vines and capable of devastating vineyards as it has done many times in the past). The rootstock of the American vines - Vitis labrusca species - is resistant to Phylloxera whereas that of the European Vitis vinifera species is not. Vitis labrusca does not make for great wine, so cuttings of Vitis vinifera are grafted onto Vitis labrusca rootstock (or that of a labrusca-vinifera hybrid, another vine species such as Vitis berlandieri, Vitis riparia or Vitis rupestris). Most of today’s vineyards are planted to grafted vines.
Round: (tasting term). Describes a wine with smooth texture. This typically occurs when a wine matures and its tannins have softened and is a desirable character of wines. This term is also used to describe young wines with soft tannins and low acidity.
Rustic: (tasting term). Another vague and elusive wine word. Generally, this term when applied to wine, is defined as describing "wines reminiscent of those made in an earlier era" - when current technological interventions were not part of the winemaking reality. These wines typically are hearty, earthy, not very polished or sophisticated (but not necessarily simple). A very subjective word, it may be used to refer to the aroma or flavor profile of a wine or its structure. A 'rustic' wine is the antithesis of a clean, flawless wine. This description may also be intended as a positive when applied to wines which are distinctive and require aging, or as a negative when applied to a young wine that should taste fresh and fruity but instead is earthy and displays flavors which typically evolve with age.
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