A term used in French for the process of selecting or artfully blending wines from different vintages, grape varieties and vineyard sites, especially in the production of Champagne or for the great Bordeaux wines. The term coupage is usually used for blending simpler wines. The "invention" of the assemblage is attributed to the Benedictine monk Dom Pierre Pérignon (1638-1715). This art, which is kept strictly secret by the champagne houses, is also known prosaically as Marriage. The person responsible for the assemblage (French: assembleur) in a Champagne house is called chef de caves. The result of the assemblage is usually called a cuvée.
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