### **Grape Spirits — Technical Definition (with Introduction)**

#### **Introduction**

*Grape spirits* are a category of distilled alcoholic beverages derived **exclusively from grape-based raw materials**, encompassing products distilled from **wine, grape pomace, grape must, or fermented grape juice**. This category represents the full distilled extension of viticulture, capturing alcohol, aroma, and structural compounds originating from grapes. Technically, grape spirits form a broader superclass that includes wine spirits, pomace spirits, and certain grape must spirits, unified by their botanical origin (*Vitis* spp.) rather than by production pathway alone.

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#### **Technical Definition**

**Grape spirits** are **distilled alcoholic beverages obtained by the distillation of fermented grape-derived substrates**, including wine, grape pomace, or fermented grape must, at an alcohol strength that preserves grape-origin congeners, and bottled at a legally defined minimum alcoholic strength.

A grape spirit is defined by the following technical criteria:

1. **Raw Material Origin**

* Derived exclusively from grapes (*Vitis vinifera* or legally permitted *Vitis* hybrids), including:

* Fermented wine

* Fermented grape pomace (skins, seeds, pulp)

* Fermented grape must or partially fermented grape juice

* No non-grape agricultural alcohol permitted.

2. **Fermentation Requirement**

* Alcohol must originate from **fermentation of grape sugars** prior to distillation.

* Direct distillation of unfermented grape juice is prohibited.

3. **Distillation Parameters**

* Distilled at a strength **below full rectification**, sufficient to retain volatile grape-derived compounds.

* Typical maximum distillation strength:

* ≤ 86% vol for wine spirits

* ≤ 72–75% vol for pomace spirits (jurisdiction-dependent)

4. **Alcohol Strength (Finished Product)**

* Bottled typically at **≥ 37.5% vol** (EU standard), unless otherwise regulated.

5. **Maturation (Optional)**

* May be:

* **Unaged** (clear spirits emphasizing primary grape character)

* **Aged** in wooden or inert vessels, developing secondary and tertiary aromas.

6. **Additives and Adjustments**

* Permitted (category-dependent):

* Water for dilution

* Caramel coloring (limited, usually color-only)

* Flavoring substances generally prohibited in traditional grape spirit categories.

7. **Sensory Identity**

* Must retain **detectable grape-derived aromatic markers**, such as:

* Ethyl esters of fatty acids

* Higher alcohols

* Terpenes (notably in aromatic grape varieties)

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#### **Formal Scope of Grape Spirits**

Grape spirits include, but are not limited to:

* **Wine Spirits** (e.g., brandy, cognac)

* **Grape Pomace Spirits** (e.g., grappa, marc)

* **Grape Must Spirits** (e.g., certain aguardente and orujo types)

They explicitly **exclude**:

* Neutral spirits distilled from grapes to vodka-grade purity

* Spirits from non-grape fruits or cereals

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#### **Hierarchical Position**

* **Superclass**: Distilled alcoholic beverages

* **Class**: Grape spirits

* **Subclasses**:

* Wine spirits

* Pomace (marc) spirits

* Grape must spirits

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If you want, I can follow this with:

* A **formal subclass table for grape spirits**

* **Comparative definitions**: grape spirits vs wine spirits vs pomace spirits

* **EU / OIV / Codex mapping**

* **Database attribute extensions** aligned with your classification system

Just say where you want to go next.

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Below is a **formal, technical subclass table for Grape Spirits**, aligned with **EU / OIV logic**, and structured for **legal, academic, and database classification**.

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## **Grape Spirits — Formal Subclass Table**

| **Subclass** | **Formal Definition** | **Primary Raw Material** | **Fermented Matrix** | **Max Distillation Strength** | **Ageing Requirement** | **Representative Examples** |

| ------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ | -------------------- | ----------------------------- | ---------------------- | ---------------------------------- |

| **Wine Spirits** | Grape spirit obtained exclusively by distillation of finished grape wine, preserving vinous congeners. | Grape wine | Finished wine | ≤ 86% vol | Optional / regulated | Brandy, Cognac, Armagnac |

| **Unaged Wine Spirits** | Wine spirit bottled without wood maturation, expressing primary grape aromas. | Grape wine | Finished wine | ≤ 86% vol | None | Eau-de-Vie de Vin, Peruvian Pisco |

| **Aged Wine Spirits** | Wine spirit matured in wooden vessels for a defined period, developing oxidative and extractive character. | Grape wine | Finished wine | ≤ 86% vol | Mandatory | Brandy, Brandy de Jerez |

| **Pomace (Marc) Spirits** | Grape spirit distilled from fermented grape pomace (skins, seeds, pulp) after winemaking. | Grape pomace | Fermented pomace | ≤ 72–75% vol* | Optional | Grappa, Marc |

| **Grape Must Spirits** | Grape spirit obtained from fermented grape must or partially fermented grape juice. | Grape must | Fermented must | ≤ 86% vol | Optional | Orujo (certain styles), Aguardente |

| **Fortifying Grape Spirits** | High-strength grape-derived distillate intended exclusively for fortification of wine products. | Wine or must | Fermented wine/must | 77–96% vol* | None | Aguardente vínica |

| **Appellation-Protected Grape Spirits (PDO/GI)** | Grape spirits produced within a delimited geographic area under binding technical specifications. | Grape-based | Category-specific | Legally defined | Legally defined | Cognac, Armagnac, Grappa PDO |

*Upper limits vary by jurisdiction; must remain grape-derived and non-neutral.

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## **Hierarchy View (Ontology-Friendly)**

```

Distilled Alcoholic Beverages

└── Grape Spirits

├── Wine Spirits

│ ├── Unaged Wine Spirits

│ └── Aged Wine Spirits

├── Pomace (Marc) Spirits

├── Grape Must Spirits

├── Fortifying Grape Spirits

└── PDO / GI Grape Spirits

```

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## **Key Technical Differentiators**

* **Matrix distilled** (wine vs pomace vs must)

* **Distillation ceiling** (congener preservation)

* **Ageing obligation**

* **Legal function** (consumption vs fortification)

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If you want next, I can:

* Integrate this table **directly into your wine classification database**

* Add **chemical markers per subclass**

* Provide **SQL / Excel-ready versions**

* Create a **comparative table: grape spirits vs wine spirits**

Just tell me the next step.