A term commonly used in French to describe the process of selecting or skilfully blending wines from different vintages, grape varieties and vineyard sites, particularly in the production of Champagne or the great Bordeaux wines. The term ‘coupage’ is usually used for the blending of simpler wines. The ‘invention’ of assemblage is attributed to the Benedictine monk Dom Pierre Pérignon (1638–1715). This art, kept strictly secret by the Champagne houses, is also prosaically referred to as ‘marriage ’. The person responsible for assemblage (French: assembleur) in a Champagne house is known as the chef de caves. The result of the assemblage is usually called a cuvée (blend).
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Egon Mark
Diplom-Sommelier, Weinakademiker und Weinberater, Volders (Österreich)