Glossary of Wine Terms - R

R

Recioto

An Italian sweet wine made from passito grapes.

Redox

The reductive-oxidative way that wine ages. As one part gains oxygen and becomes oxidized, another part loses oxygen and becomes reduced. Early in its life, a wine will exhibit oxidative aromas and traits due to the relatively recent influence and exposure of oxygen when the wine was barrel aged and/or bottled. As the wine ages and is shut off from a supply of oxygen in the bottle, a mature wine will develop reductive characteristics.

Rehoboam

A large bottle holding 4.5 litres, the equivalent of six regular wine bottles.

Reserva

Spanish and Portuguese term for a reserve wine.

Reserve

A term given to wine to indicate that it is of higher quality than usual.

Ripasso

The brilliant addition of slight Amarone flavor to Valpolicella wine by allowing the Valpolicella to pass over the drained must of an Amarone on its way to secondary refermentation.