Maturation & Storage

Does pomace brandy need to be aged? The law doesn't require a minimum aging period for either pomace brandy or lees brandy, unlike brandy (Weinbrand), which needs at least a year in oak. Freshly distilled spirit is harsh and unsettled, though, so it still rests for a while before being brought down to drinking strength and bottled.

It's common to store it in neutral vessels such as stainless steel, glass demijohns, or stoneware. The aroma barely changes there, but the spirit becomes smoother as volatile compounds settle. It stays perfectly clear, and that's exactly the goal for many winegrowers: a Riesling pomace brandy should taste of grape, not of barrel, and a wine lees brandy should retain its yeasty character.

Wood is permitted. In the barrel, the brandy picks up color and notes of vanilla or spice, and the law allows the color of pomace brandy to be adjusted with sugar coloring. Anyone putting an age statement on the label may only state the age of the youngest component and must have carried out the aging under official supervision.

Italy has fixed grades for Grappa, where "vecchia" means at least twelve months in wood. No such age grades exist for pomace brandy from the Mosel valley. What "old" or "Reserve" means on a Mosel bottle is up to the producer, not the law.

Winegrowers store their spirits dark and cool, since light and warmth alter the brandy. The same applies to lees brandy, even though its bolder character often means it needs longer to settle down.