marc (or more correctly eau-de-vie de marc) , is a pomace brandy distilled widely in France since at least the eighteenth century from the “marc,” or pomace, of grapes left over from winemaking. It must be bottled at no less than 37.5 percent ABV (and rarely exceeding 54 percent) and may be aged in oak (the barrels used are customarily old ones), sometimes for a considerable period. No flavoring or additional alcohol can be added.
Types of marc legally accepted and demarcated within the EU include Marc de Champagne, marc d’Aquitaine, marc de Bourgogne, marc du Centre-Est, marc de Franche-Comté, marc du Bugey, marc de Savoie, marc des Côteaux de la Loire, marc des Côtes du Rhône, marc de Provence, marc du Languedoc, marc d’Alsace gewürztraminer (a single variety AOP), marc de Lorraine, marc d’Auvergne, and marc du Jura. Each of these is also allowed to be labeled as “ eau-de-vie de marc … ,” as in eau-de-vie de marc de Champagne or eau-de-vie de originaire marc d’Aquitaine.
These French AOPs require that pomace rather than wine is used; each one has its own protected designation for wine-based spirit (such as eau-de-vie de la Marne for the Champagne region or eau-de-vie de vin originaire d’Aquitaine for the Bordeaux region).
See also pomace brandy.
By: Doug Frost