Someone brought me a bottle of Marc de Chateauneuf de Pape from Provence. How do you drink it, like a wine? Or like brandy, or scotch? Chilled or room temperature? With what kind of food, or is it an apertif?

Melissa: Marc is a digestif like cognac. Drink it in small quantity after a meal at room temperature. <BR>However, we now tend to drink digestifs, like Williamine (pear), Abricot or Rasperry digestifs also chilled, but no ice. <BR>I would say, try it out. <BR>

I LOVE marc! I would say that it is an acquired taste, but I have really come to enjoy it. My husband and I first tried marc de bourgogne, when we were in that area, and I have not been able to find it here. But I did locate a brand made in California, Marc St. George, which we like very much. The amazing thing is that the "digestive" properties are real-- nothing is better after a large rich meal.

Thanks, Ursula & Robin!! You took 90% of the mystery out of this digestif for me. There are so many different kinds of spirits in Europe, there is not enough time in a lifetime to try them all....and try them appropriately.

Funny that you are speaking of Marc, which I understand to be a digestive for after dinner and similar in nature to a brandy or cognac.

I was just reading "The Gastronomic Me" by M.F.K. Fisher and indeed, she mentions drinking Marc with her husband Al.

Thank you for recommending an American made Marc, which I will try.

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I was going to say "very carefully"...har!

"marc" or "a small marc" is the late evening drink of choice of Archie McNally of the Lawrence Sanders mystery books. Now I know he is using it as a digestive. Thanks.

it's a quality brandy at a decent price (the Chateau. du Pape,) made by distilling the grape pulp (pomace) left over from wine production. Some makers even throw in the grape stalks

This tells more.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-marc-de-bourgogne.htm
The marc of Bourgogne. of Champagne and Alsace
are very popular.

Very similar to the Italian grappa, and requiring similar discretion.