Home > Wine Glossary > R: Racking to Rootstock

Wine Glossary: R

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Racking
The process of racking involves transfer of wine from one container, such as a barrel, to another. Carefully done, the lees may be left behind in the first barrel, resulting in a partial clarification of the wine.

Rancio (France)
The rancio style is one of fortification and oxidation, generally achieved by prolonged (decades in some cases) periods of ageing in wood. It is popular in Rivesaltes and Maury.

Recioto (Italy)
This term describes wines made from grapes which have been dried for several months prior to fermentation. The dehydration results in a concentration of the grape sugars, and the resulting wines are sweet. If fermented to dryness the wines are known as Amarone. The drying process may be referred to as passito.

Rehoboam
A large format Burgundy and Champagne bottle, equivalent to six standard bottles. In Bordeaux this size is known as a Jeroboam - although in Burgundy and Champagne a Jeroboam contains only four bottles. Confusing! See my advisory page on wine bottle sizes for more information.

Remuage (France)
An essential step in the production of Champagne. The remuage or riddling process involves gradual turning and inversion of the bottle, bring the lees into the neck prior to their removal. For more information see my wine guide to Champagne.

Reserva (Spain)
In Spain, red wines designated as reserva have received a minimum of three years ageing prior to release, of which at least one must be in oak. Related terms include Gran Reserva and Crianza.

Residual
Refers to any substance that remains after the fermentation. Typically used in relation to sugar (see below).

Residual sugar
The amount of sugar left in the wine after alcoholic fermentation. Residual sugar may be the result of high must weight, or the termination of fermentation before all the sugar has been converted into alcohol with the addition of sulphur or spirit. The vast majority of wines have less than 2 g/l. Sweet wines obviously have more, some reaching amazing levels - up to 480 g/l has been recorded.

Right Bank
A collective term for the communes of the right bank of the Gironde in Bordeaux. For more information, see my guide to Bordeaux wine.

Ripasso (Italy)
A brilliant concept for increasing the amount of flavour and interest in basic Valpolicella. The Valpolicella wine is passed over the unpressed but drained must of an Amarone. The bittersweet intensity of the Amarone is imparted, in a small way, to the basic Valpolicella, possibly with the help of a minor secondary refermentation.

Rootstock
The use of separate rootstock - essentially a clump of roots - onto which the vines are grafted was made necessary by the arrival of Phylloxera. The great Vitis vinifera varieties, such as Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc, quickly keel over and die in the presence of Phylloxera infestation. The American Vitis labrusca species, however, are resistant. Unfortunately Vitis labrusca does not make world-class wine. The solution - graft vinifera plants onto Phylloxera-resistant rootstock, which was originally Vitis labrusca, but today is more likely to be a labrusca-vinifera hybrid, or another vine species altogether such as Vitis berlandieri, Vitis riparia or Vitis rupestris. The vast majority of modern vineyards are planted using grafted material.

Glossary pages: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W XYZ