(Inquirer) - On wine labels, the word “reserve” is supposed to be a quality indicator, but whether it has actual significance depends on where the wine comes from.

The aspirational meaning for the term “reserve” originated with products that can be improved with maturation (such as wines, spirits, and cheeses), where holding back a top-notch batch for extra aging could increase its value. But since producers were the ones determining which of their own batches were superior, the term was quickly abused and devalued.