The pomace brandy of Burgundy, distilled from the grape residue — skins, seeds, and stems — left after wine pressing. A spirit in the grappa and tsipouro family, drunk as a digestif and used in cooking to deglaze sauces and to flambé cheeses such as Epoisses. Aged versions take on color and roundness from oak.
Marc de Bourgogne is the pomace brandy of Burgundy, distilled from the grape pomace — the skins, seeds, and stems — left over after the grapes are pressed for winemaking. It belongs to the broad family of pomace spirits that includes the grappa of Italy, the tsipouro of Greece, and the marc of other French regions. The Burgundy marc carries its own appellation. The spirit is made by distilling the residual alcohol still present in the pressed pomace, capturing the remaining ethanol and the grape's aromatic compounds. Marc de Bourgogne is drunk as a digestif and used in cooking — notably to deglaze pan sauces, in dishes such as oeufs en meurette, and to wash the rinds of cheeses such as Epoisses. Aged versions, matured in oak, take on a pale gold color and a softer, rounder character than the fiery young spirit.
A small pour of young marc de Bourgogne is clear, fiery, and intensely grape-driven — the spirit carries the sharp, fiery character of the pomace, with a strong fruity backend from the grape skins. Aged marc, by contrast, is pale gold, softer, with oaky roundness mellowing the fire. Drunk as a digestif in a small glass, it is the close of a Burgundian meal; used in cooking, it deglazes a pan with grape-driven intensity.
Marc de Bourgogne rests on the distillation of grape pomace. After the grapes are pressed for wine, the residual pomace still contains alcohol trapped in the moist skins and seeds, as well as the aromatic compounds of the grape. This pomace is fermented briefly if needed, then distilled — typically in an alembic still — to capture and concentrate the residual ethanol and the grape's volatile aromatics. The distillation separates the desirable heart from the harsh heads and tails; the heart is a clear, fiery spirit whose character comes directly from the grape variety and the terroir. Aging in oak, where practiced, allows oxidation and the extraction of tannins and color from the wood, mellowing the spirit and adding complexity.
Variations
Young (clear and fiery) and aged (pale gold and rounded) versions exist; the pomace distillation and the Burgundian origin are the constants.
On the Palate
Where Marc de Bourgogne sits in the French flavor cloud
Ingredients
Serves 20How it's made
5 steps
- 15 min
Collect the grape pomace — skins, seeds, and stems — after pressing for wine.
- 25 min
Ferment briefly if the pomace is not already alcoholic.
- 35 min
Distill in an alembic still, collecting the clear heart and discarding heads and tails.
Watch outAs you distill, keep only the clear middle heart and throw out the heads and tails — the first and last runnings carry the harsh, off-tasting compounds; the heart is the clean spirit.
- 45 min
Bottle clear and fiery as young marc, or age in oak barrels for a rounded, colored spirit.
- 55 min
Drink as a digestif, or use in cooking to deglaze sauces and flambé.
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