marc
/mɑːk
/noun [mass noun]
1The refuse of grapes or other fruit that have been pressed for winemaking: the spent marc can be seen in purple-black piles by the roadside [count noun]: each press takes a marc of 4,000 kilograms...
- A recent entry sang the praises of Tomme Affinee au Marc de Raisin, a cow's milk cheese that has been aged under a thick blanket of grape marc.
- Brandy is the umbrella term for a spirit produced from grape pomace or marc (debris left over after fermentation), or from wine or fruit.
- There is no advantage to be gained by attempting to press the marc because all of the soluble constituents have entered into solution.
1.1An alcoholic spirit distilled from marc: working men sat over bowls of milky coffee and glasses of marc...
- Such a brandy is called marc in France, grappa in Italy, and bagaceira in Portugal.
- Duties on bottled spirits produced of wine or marc will be curtailed.
- The marcs are then aged by individual champagne houses who sell them under their own names.
Origin
Early 17th century: from French, from marcher in the early sense 'to trample'.