mistelle is a blend of fresh grape juice or must and spirit. Although not actually made with wine, it is often classified as a fortified wine. Thought to come from the medieval Latin miscitare (to mix), the French word “mistelle” and the Spanish “mistela” appeared in the early 1900s to specifically describe blends from Spain.
Mistelles can be white or red. A spirit, traditionally wine-based but often a neutral alcohol of agricultural origin, is added to must or grape juice with high sugar content before the start of the fermentation process (the International Organization of Vine and Wine tolerates up to 1 percent of actual alcohol from fermentation). The alcohol prevents microbial growth and halts fermentation, stabilizing the mistelle. Without fermentation, the natural grape sugars and the aromas of the fruit are preserved; the flavor profile is fresher than other fortified wines, though often less complex. Mistelles have a slightly higher alcohol volume than table wines—between 15 and 22 percent.
Although mistelle is a relatively recent word, it describes a much older product. Historically, wines were unstable and difficult to age and could not withstand travel. The “mutage” process, which consisted of stopping fermentation by the addition of either sulfur or alcohol, was found to help. While it’s difficult to credit the process to a specific originator, Catalan alchemist Arnaud de Villeneuve is often quoted as the first writer to recommend the addition of alcohol to wine. However, the real authorship of the numerous manuscripts bearing his name is difficult to ascertain.
The success of fortified wines can be traced back to the Dutch and English demand for wine from the sixteenth century. They were looking for stable wines to sell on their markets and contributed greatly to the creation, modernization, and/or sophistication of fortified wines such as port, sherries, Madeira, and Malaga. In France, fortification gave birth to wines such as banyuls, rivesaltes, or maury. However, although mistelles have been used in the formulation of some of these, they are all primarily based on partially or completely fermented wines and as such should not be mistaken with mistelles.
Mistelles remain traditional Spanish products, especially in the regions of Alicante and Valencia, where they are often drunk as a digestive or dessert wine. In France, one finds many regional mistelles, some of which have obtained AOC (appellation d’origine controlee) protection: macvin (fortified with pomace brandy), floc de Gascogne (with Armagnac), and pineau des Charentes. The last is the only one widely known abroad. It owes its prestige to its area of production: it is made in and around Cognac and is fortified with at least one-year-old cognacs. It is drunk as both an aperitif and a digestive. Some pineaus receive significant barrel aging, spending fifteen years or more in oak.
In addition, some mistelles are used in the production process of other fortified wines. Many French aromatized wines—including Noilly Prat vermouth, Dubonnet, Byrrh, and Bonal—depend on mistelles for sweetness and fortification. Although there are exceptions, the presence of mistelle is indeed one of the defining characteristics of the French aromatized wine trade. Its use was promoted by the French government, which saw it as an ideal way to solve the overproduction problem faced by southern France’s vineyards. Since the establishment of the European Single Market, many of these brands source their mistelles abroad, particularly in Spain.
wines, fortified; floc de Gascogne; and Pineau des Charentes.International Organisation of Vine and Wine website. http://www.oiv.int (accessed March 25, 2021).
Robinson, Jancis, ed. The Oxford Companion to Wine, 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015.
By: François Monti