The blending of wines, often of different vintages or regions, to create a final product with desired characteristics.
From French 'coupage,' derived from 'couper' meaning 'to cut' or 'to blend.' This French wine term was borrowed into English in the 19th century as English wine-lovers adopted French terminology for their own wine practices.
Wine terminology is full of French words because France dominated wine culture for centuries, and 'coupage' reveals something fascinating: winemakers found that blending wines wasn't cheating or 'cutting' it with bad wine—it was an art form that could improve the final product beyond what single wines could achieve.
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