Reserve wine is wine of a higher quality than usual, a wine that has been aged before sale, or both. Traditionally, winemakers would reserve some of their best wine rather than sell it immediately, coining the term.
In some countries the use of the term "reserve", "reserva" or "riserva" is regulated, but in many places it is not. According to Italian wine laws, riserva indicates additional aging.[1] Sometimes, reserve wine originates from the best vineyards, or the best barrels. Reserve wines may be made in a style suited to longer aging periods. In regions where the use is not regulated, the presence of the term "reserve" on a wine label may be a marketing strategy,[2] without specific criteria.[1] In Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay, every bottle produced is "Vintner's Reserve", and to indicate a traditional reserve wine, Kendall-Jackson uses the term "Grand Reserve".[3]
Like the term "old vines", "reserve" traditionally indicates a wine that is special,[1] or at least different in flavor or aging potential.[4] The presence of a non-reserve bottling with a producer that also sells reserve wine makes it more likely that "reserve" is used in its traditional sense. Partly because of the often vague meaning of "reserve", many wineries produce named cuvées instead. Typically these are reserve wines in the traditional meaning of the word.
- ^ a b c Bespaloff, Alexis (1984-10-01). "California Deluxe". New York Magazine. New York Media, LLC. pp. 83–84.
- ^ Teague, Lettie (2022-09-08). "How to Read a Wine Label". Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
- ^ GORMAN-MCADAMS, MARY (March 25, 2010). "Reserva, Riserva, Reserve: What Do They Mean for Wine?". Kitchn. Retrieved 2022-10-02.
- ^ Teeter, Adam (2015-03-01). "Myth Busted - Calling A Wine "Reserve" Is Meaningless". VinePair. Retrieved 2022-10-02.