Italian tasting term
How to pronounce Riserva
Riserva is pronounced ree-ZAIR-vah, written /riˈzɛrva/ in the International Phonetic Alphabet. The stress falls on ZAIR.
ree-ZAIR-vah
IPA /riˈzɛrva/
What is Riserva?
Reserve wine in Italy indicating extended aging beyond standard DOC requirements.
The name means “Reserve” in Italian.
Other accepted pronunciations
These are also correct, and Vinolingo scores them as correct:
- ree-SAIR-vah — Voiceless s after ri-.
Tips for saying it
Often heard as ree-ZAI-vah.
Always pronounce the r before v with a quick tap of the tongue: ree-ZAIR-vah.
Often heard as reh-ZAIR-vah.
The first i in riserva is a clear ee, not eh as in Spanish reserva: ree-ZAIR-vah.
Related pronunciations
Practice saying it out loud with Vinolingo
Listening is the first step. In the Vinolingo app you say Riserva yourself and get an instant pronunciation score, then spaced repetition keeps it fresh — along with 213 other wine terms.
Download on the App Store