Jan 2012 Pomace is surprisingly useful considering that it is by nature nothing but left-overs.

Pomace is the pulpy residue which remains once the oils and juices are extracted from fruit such as grapes or olives. The term Pomace was coined by the English and is derived from the old English word for apple, “Pomum”.

Pomace has always been utilized by farmers, notably in the production of alcohol such as Pomace brandy and marc brandy like Grappa. It is also used for the production of grape seed oil. Today the main commercial use for Pomace is in fertilizer and fodder.

Pomace is not only useful in farming though; current interest in eco fuels has prompted many vineyards to explore the possibility of a future use for Pomace within the bio fuel industry.

So Pomace is useful in cooking, alcohol production and farming but that’s not as far as its powers go; Pomace is also being heavily researched within the field of dentistry as it is thought to contain properties which could aid in the fight against tooth decay.

Pomace made from red grapes is thought to be useful as a natural food preservative which can slow down the ill effects of E. coli and other serious infections. This is thought to be due to the high content of polyphenols present within red grape skin.

So with all of the beneficial elements present in Pomace, it would be safe to assume that its production and processing would be simple.  But unless a winery is producing a high volume of Pomace then they usually find that they simply do not have enough Pomace to sell to other manufacturers for use in making fertilizer or fodder. So what do the smaller wineries and even home brewers do with their leftover Pomace?

The answer is as old as Pomace itself and is one which even the hobbyist wine maker can undertake; re-use of Pomace in wine making is popular and the crushed skins can be made into another weaker or “second” wine. This process is relatively simple and involves soaking the Pomace in water overnight and the following day bringing up the acidity levels in the Pomace to a good winemaking level; add your yeast and ferment as usual, then press after around three days.

Although re-pressing Pomace may not result in the best wine, it is an excellent way of saving money and is an ancient tradition as the re-use of Pomace in wine making is hundreds if not thousands of years old.

If you would rather not re-use your Pomace in this way, you might prefer to utilize your Pomace in the garden and use the extra Pomace as compost. Pomace makes excellent compost and any type of Pomace will work. When you begin your compost pile ensure it is placed away from windows or wine making equipment as fruit always brings fruit flies. Add other waste to your compost heap and bask in the knowledge that you are doing your bit for the environment!