Grape marc, wine lees and deposit of the must: How to manage oenological by-products?

Abstract

Winemaking produces solid (grape marc) and liquid (wine lees and deposit of the must) wastes named “oenological by-products”, which, according to European regulations, must be eliminated following the environmental regulatory requirement [1]. In France, these European regulations forced wine growers, until the 2013/2014 campaign, to deliver all by-products to wine distilleries. This French obligation is known as the “prestation vinique” [2, 3]. Following the Common Market Organisation wine reform, a consultation was initiated by FranceAgriMer on the potential value of oenological by-products. The French Institute of Vine and Wine (IFV) coordinated a national experimentation from 2010 to 2013 about recovery of by-products, with the support of members of the Technical Group: Association des Viticulteurs d'Alsace (AVA), Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), Institut Technique des Corps Gras (ITERG), et Union Nationale des Groupements de Distillateurs d'Alcool (UNGDA). Distillation of grape marc and wine lees spreading and composting, and anaerobic digestion of grape marc were studied in order to answer the following questions: What technical feasibility? What environmental impact? What cost for winegrowers? What conformity with the regulations, including environmental regulatory obligations? [4].