ALMA Rakija - Pomace Brandy (Komovica)

I like distilling grape pomace, making Grappa or Marc or Komovica, whatever you want to call it. The process of making pomace brandy feels very natural and correct, like it connects me to the original purpose of distillation, to turn the waste of wine-making into a characterful spirit for a local audience.  Some people think they don’t like grappa, and sure, some of them might not actually like it (colloquially we call these people “idiots”), but they can be wonderfully expressive spirits when well made, and quite different than the complimentary rocket-fuel poured by the proprietor of a tourist trap in Rome.   

The core tenet of making quality pomace brandy is distilling absolutely fresh grape pomace straight from the press, which means all of the distillation happens during the wine harvest in October and November. This particular bottling is unique for me, as it was distilled in April. The pomace (a co-ferment / field blend of 7 different Italian varieties) was still totally fresh, as until the day before it had been resting comfortably in underground qvevri at Poberaj Wines in the Columbia Gorge. The distillate is a unique mix of fruit and spice, with a dusty, waxy aspect suggestive of sherry underlaying the brighter Riesling and Moscato notes. Limited bottle available online for pick-up at the distillery, $44/750ml 52.8% abv