What is actually a Cuvée?

The term cuvée is used very differently internationally in different regions, which can lead to some confusion. The word cuvée is derived from the French cuve and means vat, fermenter or tank.

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the term is used as a synonym for a "blend". Of course, this has negative connotations at first. However, the cellar master does not actually want to blend the wines together. Rather, he blends different wines in order to enhance the positive characteristics of the individual wines.

In France, on the other hand, every separately bottled wine from a winery as well as a blend of several grape varieties is called a cuvée. This always applies: A good cuvée is not just the sum of its parts, but a harmoniously balanced composition. The blend is only created after each individual wine variety has matured. The cellar master takes samples and combines them until he has found the ideal balance between fruit and acidity, flavour and mouthfeel as well as alcohol and tannin content. In France, this process is called assemblage. One of the best-known cuvées is Châteauneuf-du-Pape, which can contain up to 13 grape varieties.