cuvée

plural cuvées · alternative cuvee

1. Wine produced from a mixture of several grape varieties.

   In every first pressing there are ordinarily two-thirds of fine wine, one-half third of the wine of the cut, and one-half third of the wine of the press; thus one cuvee of five or six pieces of wine will consist of nine or ten of fine, three or four of taille, and two or three of the press.

   1805, Richard Shannon, A Practical Treatise on Brewing, Distilling, and Rectification

2. especiallyThe first (and highest quality) grape juice to be produced, from a given batch of gently pressed grapes.

   Prestige or luxury cuvées are wines designed for those who prefer greater luxuries than simple vintage wines.

   1987, John J. Baxevanis, The Wines of Champagne, Burgundy, Eastern and Southern France