Word |
Description |
| Split | A quarter-bottle of wine; a single-serving bottle equal to 175 milliliters. |
| Stemmy | A term used to describe harsh, green characteristics in a wine. |
| Sangiovese | A red grape native to Tuscany; the base grape for Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino, Morellino di Scansano, and others. |
| Sauternes | A sweet Bordeaux white wine made from botrytized Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc. |
| Steely | A term used to describe an extremely crisp, acidic wine that was not aged in barrels. |
| Solera | The Spanish system of blending wines of different ages to create a harmonious end product; a stack of barrels holding wines of various ages. |
| Syrah | A red grape planted extensively in the Rhone Valley of France, Australia, and elsewhere; a spicy, full and tannic wine that usually requires aging before it can be enjoyed. |
| Spicy | A term used to describe certain aromas and flavors that may be sharp, woody, or sweet. |
| Sancerre | An area in the Loire Valley known mostly for wines made from Sauvignon Blanc. |
| Super Tuscan | A red wine from Tuscany that is not made in accordance with established DOC rules; often a blended wine of superior quality containing Cabernet Sauvignon and/or Merlot. |
| Sommelier | Technically a wine steward, but one potentially with a great degree of wine knowledge as well as a diploma of sorts in wine studies. |
| Supple | A term used to describe smooth, balanced wines. |
| Reserve | A largely American term indicating a wine of higher quality; it has no legal meaning. |
| Riesling | Along with Chardonnay, one of the top white grapes in the world; most popular in Germany, Alsace, and Austria. |
| Rioja | A well-known region in Spain known for traditional red wines made from the Tempranillo grape. |
| Reserva | A Spanish term for a red wine that has spent at least three years in barrels and bottles before release. |
| Rhone | A river in southwest France surrounded by villages producing wines mostly from Syrah; the name of the wine-producing valley in France. |
| Riddling | The process of rotating Champagne bottles in order to shift sediment toward the cork. |
| Rose | French for ipink,i and used to describe a category of refreshing wines that are pink in color but are made from red grapes. |
| Racking | The process of moving wine from barrel to barrel, while leaving sediment behind. |
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