The Little Unsung Hero

For as long as there has been wine, there has been pomace. Grape pomace refers to the skins, pulp, seeds and stems etc. after pressing the fruits. The (re-)using of grape pomace, the natural by-product of winemaking, seems to be motivated by economy and environmental preservation in modern times. For large parts of human history, however, pomace was an important source of nutrition. Prior to the Industrial Revolution, there was little, if any, food security or water safety to speak of. In addition to providing calories, wine was a safe beverage and commodity which can be preserved for a while. Grape pomace is highly versatile and can be made into fertiliser, fodder, grape seed oil, pomace brandy or pomace wine.
Pomace wine is made by adding water to grape pomace, soaking and re-pressing to extract the remaining flavour and sugar for another round of fermentation. Ancient Greeks and Romans used to make pomace wine for labourers and slaves. Back then, wine was consumed diluted; drinking undiluted wine was seen as barbaric in the Roman society. The tradition of pomace wine survives until now, such as French piquette and Italian acqua pazza.
Pomace brandy is made by first making pomace wine, and then distilling it into spirits. Thanks to its high alcohol content, it keeps well and is particularly useful as a commodity, if not consumed by the producer or locally. The days of hardship may be long gone for many winemakers, but the agricultural mentality, or virtue, of thriftiness remains – anything that can be used, is. This practice can be observed across Europe, with winemakers turning grape pomace into a variety of spirits, whether with or without herbs, including raki (Balkans), zivania (Cyprus), marc (France), tresterbrand (Austria and Germany), tsipouro (Greece), grappa (Italy), aguardente bagaceira (Portugal) and orujo (Spain).
France probably has as many varieties of marc as it does crémant, e.g. marc d’Alsace, marc de Bordeaux and marc de Bougogne, some of the most famous examples even used pomace from Château Lafite Rothschild and Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. In general, pomace of red varieties is more alcoholic and tannic than that of white varieties. Since pomace brandy remains a relatively inexpensive product and is not marketed by multinational luxury brands as are Cognac, it tends to be frank and candid, often without ageing and usually without additives. Apart from sipping neat, pomace brandy is great as a deglazing liquid, thanks to its less protruding flavours.

Trenel Vieux Marc de Bourgogne
Luminous stil de grain with rich jasmine reflex, the potent nose offers pomelo peel, rosemary, tobacco leaf and burnt sugar. With a lively mouthfeel, the intense palate delivers oat porridge, thyme, cardamom and smoke. Medium-bodied at 45%, the lean entry continues through a piquant mid-palate, leading to a long finish.

Trenel Très Vieux Marc de Bourgogne
Brilliant jonquil with light sunglow reflex, the fragrant nose presents bitter orange, apricot, cinnamon, roasted barley and crushed leaf. With a supple mouthfeel, the concentrated palate supplies tangerine peal, green pear, sage, hay and rye bread. Medium-bodied at 45%, the frargant entry continues through a spicy mid-palate, leading to a lingering finish.

Jacky I.F. Cheong is a legal professional by day and columnist by night. Having spent his formative years in Britain,
France, and Germany, he regularly writes about wine, fine arts, classical music, and politics in several languages