Racking
The process of drawing wine off the sediment, such as lees, after fermentation and moving it into another vessel.

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

Rémuage
See "riddling".

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.

Residual sugar
Also known as RS, the level of sugar that remains unfermented in a wine. See also sweetness of wine.

Reverse osmosis
A process used to remove excess alcohol from wine made from intentionally overripe grapes.

Riddling
Also known as "Rémuage" in French, part of the Méthode Champenoise process whereby bottles of sparkling wine are successively turned and gradually tilted upside down so that sediment settles into the necks of the bottles in preparation for degorgement. Part of the Méthode Champenoise process.

Riesling
Also known as White Riesling in countries outside of Germany. Riesling is a variety of grape used to make white wine. It is grown mainly in Germany, where the relatively cold climate enables it to produce grapes for some of the best white wines in the world. Riesling, however, is used for high quality wines also in Austria and can be found in countries like Australia, South Africa and Canada as well. Riesling is famous for its vivid acidity and fruitiness both in the nose and on the palate.

Rim
Refers to edge of wine surface as seen through a "ballon" (goblet) style wineglass held at an angle of about 30-40 deg. from the vertical and viewed against white piece of paper or cloth using natural light. Used in evaluation of wine age. In "blind" tasting is about the only way to get an informed perception about the probable life and/or condition of the wine from that date on.

Rosé wines
Pink wines that are produced from the shortened contact of red wine juice with its skins, reducing the red colour of the wine. These wines can also be made by blending a small amount of red wine with white wine.

Ruby
A style of Port wine that is generally sweet.