Wine dictionary: assemblage, destemming…do you know what they are?
We’re back again for the monthly instalment of our El Coto wine dictionary! As many of you already know, each month, we look at 5 words from the world of wine and explain some interesting facts.
This time, we’ve chosen: Chardonnay, clarete, cork, assemblage and destemming. Do you know them all? Do you know what they really mean? We’re sure you’ll learn something new in this instalment of the wine dictionary... So don’t forget to read to the end!
Chardonnay
Chardonnay is a grape variety originally from the Burgundy region of France, although it is now found in loads of countries, including our own. It has small or medium-sized bunches and ripens early. Chardonnay vines are hearty and adapt well to many types of soil, being quite high yield.
In terms of the grapes, this variety has fruity aromas, including citrus and tropical fruit, such as lemon and pineapple. Plus, its characteristics make it suitable for barrel fermentation, like our 875m Chardonnay, a wine that undergoes alcoholic fermentation in new steam-bent French-oak barrels.
The perfect wine for dishes like fish stew, arroz caldoso, foie, oily fish, seafood... It’s amazing!
Clarete
Did you know the word “clarete” comes from the French word “claret”? Claret is a pale red wine from the Bordeaux region. When we talk about “clarete”, though, we’re always referring to an assemblage (we’ll see what that means below!) of red and white grapes.
Want to know the difference between a clarete and a rosé wine? We explain it all in a blog post... Don’t miss it!
A quick summary: clarete is a wine made from two types of grapes (white and red), while rosé is only made from red grapes but using a different fermentation process from red wine. For a more detailed explanation, check out our blog post on rosé.
However, there is one thing these two wines have in common: they should both be consumed within the year of being bottled and nice and cool (7 or 8 degrees Celsius). This goes for our El Coto Rosado, too.
Cork
Cork comes from the bark of the cork oak, a tree that grows in France, Portugal and Spain, which is the second largest cork producer in the world. The main reason this material was chosen to store wine is that it is waterproof yet porous.
Because the cork is much more important than it seems: it is simply essential to the quality of any wine. Its main function is to protect the wine’s traits over time, and ensure it is preserved and can evolve in the bottle.
Porousness is key because for a wine to age it needs oxygen (just the right amount, called micro-oxygenation). So, thanks to the porous cork, oxygen can get in while keeping bacteria and mould out.
One interesting fact: the cork should stay wet while wine is stored. That’s why bottles are stored on their side, so the wine is in constant contact with the cork.
Assemblage (or coupage)
The most common assemblage consists in blending different types of grapes to create a more special or “complex” wine. The opposite of an assemblage is a varietal wine, which is only made with one variety of grape.
There are different types of assemblage:
- Assemblage of different grapes
As we said, the most common assemblage is a blend of different types of grapes. Taking into account, however, that many DO regulations establish minimum percentages for certain grape varieties. In DOCa Rioja, one of the most common assemblages is Graciano, Mazuelo and Tempranillo grapes.
- Assemblage of different vintages
Another type of assemblage uses the same type of grapes from different harvests, helping improve the final product, normally making up for shortcomings in the grapes from one harvest with the positive traits of those from another.
- Assemblage of grapes with different traits or ageing processes
Not all grapes are the same or age in the same way... That’s why another type of assemblage blends grapes of the same variety with different characteristics or that have been aged differently.
By the way, don’t know the differences between DO, DOP and DOCa? Don’t miss this article!
Destemming
This is the first step grapes go through when they reach the winery, to separate the stems from the grapes. What are the stems? All the “woody” bits of the grape bunch. This process improves the colour and taste of the wine, avoiding stronger, more astringent nuances. Plus, this step gives the wine a more concentrated colour, saves space during pressing and slightly increases the alcohol level.
Nowadays, this phase of winemaking is done by machine, called a destemmer, to automate and cut production times.
Before you go, here are the first two instalments of our “Wine Dictionary”:
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