Have you ever come across the word ‘Cuvée’ (kü-vā) in the wine world and wondered what it really means? Well, you’re not alone. It gets tossed around on wine and Champagne labels a lot. And, it seems quite impressive when you see it. But, what exactly does ‘Cuvée’ mean?
Simply put, it refers to a blend.
When it comes to Champagne, the term ‘Cuvée’ can make a bottle of bubbly seem even more impressive. But, Champagnes are both a blend of grapes (Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay) and, most often, a blend of vintages (more on this later). So, the term ‘Cuvée’ on a Champagne label is just a French term (a.k.a fancy term) for a blend.
In addition to seeing the term on a bottle of bubbly, the other place you’ll see the word ‘Cuvée’ is on a standard wine label. And, once again, this simply tells you that that it’s a blend of wines. It may be a red blend or it may be a white blend. Either can have the word ‘Cuvée’ on the label.
Like so many other wine terms “Cuvée” is used to imply some additional prestige or enhanced quality. But, unfortunately, it is not officially regulated, and therefore can appear on the labels of some very ordinary wines.
So, there you have it. Cuvée. A blend. Cheers!