The process of drawing wine off the sediment, such as lees, after fermentation and moving it into another vessel.
R
A large bottle holding 4.5 liters, the equivalent of six regular wine bottles.
See riddling.
A Spanish and Portuguese term for a reserve wine.
Unfermented natural grape sugar that contributes sweetness to a finished wine.
A process used to remove excess water from wine.
In the making of sparkling wine, including Champagne, Riddling is a traditional and tedious method for consolidating lees near the neck of the bottle to make it easier to remove.
The bottles are placed neck down into racks called pupitres. At regular intervals (from several times a day to once every few days) over a period (two to ten weeks) the bottles are shaken, given a twist, and dropped back into the rack. This is to release the lees from the side of the bottle. The angle of the rack is gradually increased, starting at a 45° until 90°, and the lees collect in the neck, ready for dégorgement.
To the relief of many winemakers, this process is mostly done by machine (gyropalettes), although at some of the Premier Cuvées in Champagne it's still done by hand.
Also known as Rémuage
The root section of an established, healthy plant, used for grafting. The section being grafted to the rootstock is called the scion.
Rosé wine is made from 100% red wine grapes and can range in color from a pale orange to a near-purple. All the color comes from the skin (all juice is white), so to make the pale Rosé, after crushing, the skins remain in contact with the juice for just a short time. The must is then pressed, and the skins are discarded. From then it is processed as a white wine.
Rosés are ready to drink quite young.
A Rotling is a wine made with both red and white grapes. They may be crushed separately but must be vinified together.
In contrast to all other types of wine, grape must may be added to increase the residual sugar. Mistakenly called rosé wine because of its color.
Rotling is fairly common in Germany.
Describes a texture that is well balanced with agreeable qualities of fullness (body).
A style of Port wine that is generally sweet.
