Food & Tradition

In Burgundy, Marc is often paired with Époisses, since the cheese with its orange rind is washed with Marc de Bourgogne while ageing. The brandy lends the rind its sharpness and spice, and it's exactly this kinship that makes the pairing of cheese and glass work so well.

As an aperitif, Burgundy serves gougères, airy choux pastry puffs with cheese. The main course is often Boeuf bourguignon, beef braised in red wine, or Coq au vin. Marc and Fine are robust enough to stand up to rind-washed cheese and rich sauces, which is why they're served at the end of the meal.

Whether a brandy after dinner speeds up digestion is a widespread belief. In fact, the opposite is true: alcohol slows gastric emptying. The feeling of relief is really just relaxation. So after Époisses and Boeuf bourguignon, a Marc is a fitting finish—not a digestive aid.

With coffee, Burgundy has its own custom: pouring Marc into a hot cup with sugar melting at the bottom.

In the Jura, Comté belongs on the table, a hard cow's milk cheese, alongside Poulet au vin jaune, chicken in a sauce made from the region's vin jaune. The wine festival Percée du vin jaune moves to a different host town each year.

In winter, winemakers celebrate their patron saint, Saint Vincent. In Burgundy, the celebration travels from village to village as the Saint-Vincent tournante, and in Champagne too, Saint Vincent's Day is a winemakers' festival.