Piquette is a French

wine term The glossary of wine terms lists the definitions of many general terms used within the wine industry. For terms specific to viticulture, winemaking, grape varieties, and wine tasting, see the topic specific list in the "''See also''" section below ...

which commonly refers to a vinous beverage produced by adding water to grape

pomace Pomace ( ), or marc (; from French ''marc'' ), is the solid remains of grapes, olives, or other fruit after pressing for juice or oil. It contains the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems of the fruit. Grape pomace has traditionally been used to pro ...

but sometimes refers to a very simple wine or a wine substitute.

From pomace

If water is added to the pomace remaining after grapes intended for wine production have been pressed, it is possible to produce a thin, somewhat wine-like beverage. The

ancient Greeks Ancient Greece ( el, Ἑλλάς, Hellás) was a northeastern Mediterranean civilization, existing from the Greek Dark Ages of the 12th–9th centuries BC to the end of classical antiquity ( AD 600), that comprised a loose collection of cult ...

and

Romans Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

used pomace in this way under the name ''lora'', and the product was used for slaves and common workers. After the wine grapes were pressed twice, the pomace was soaked in water for a day and pressed for a third time. The resulting liquid was mixed with more water to produce a thin, tepid "wine" that was not very appealing. The production of piquette by poor farmers, or for consumption by farmhands and workers continued during the centuries, and is known to have been in practice as late as the mid-20th century. However, piquette seems to have been primarily associated with poor conditions, where real wine could not be afforded.

EU regulations

The European Union wine regulations define piquette as the product obtained by the fermentation of untreated grape

macerated in water, or by leaching fermented grape pomace with water. In cases where an EU member state allows the production of piquette, it may only be used for

distillation Distillation, or classical distillation, is the process of separating the components or substances from a liquid mixture by using selective boiling and condensation, usually inside an apparatus known as a still. Dry distillation is the heat ...

or for consumption in the families of individual wine-growers. It may not be sold.

Produced by other methods

During the Great French Wine Blight in the late 19th century, the production of wine fell so dramatically in France that several types of "

Ersatz An ersatz good () is a substitute good, especially one that is considered inferior to the good it replaces. It has particular connotations of wartime usage. Etymology ''Ersatz'' is a German word literally meaning ''substitute'' or ''replaceme ...

wine" were frequently produced in France under the designation piquette, and not just consumed locally, but also sold. Some of it was coloured and flavoured to appear as real wine, or was blended into actual wine to increase the amount available. A common way to produce such piquettes was to mix

raisin A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, the word ''raisin'' is reserved for the ...

s with water. The raisins used were imported to France from

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western Europe, Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa ...

countries, and were produced from grape varieties not directly suitable for wine production.

French piquette

The term "piquette" has also been used as a nickname for French wine of low quality. Piquette came to be used in this fashion because it is derived from the word ''piquer'', which means to prick or prickle.The Paris Times 25 May 2007: Rebellious Belleville
/ref> These wines often had a slight fizz which would prickle the mouth. Piquette was produced in what was then Paris's outskirts, in Belleville and

Montmartre Montmartre ( , ) is a large hill in Paris's northern 18th arrondissement. It is high and gives its name to the surrounding district, part of the Right Bank. The historic district established by the City of Paris in 1995 is bordered by Rue Ca ...

, in an era when the simpler wines for Paris were sourced as close to the capital as possible in order to lower transportation costs. Wines considered to be simple or bad quality are still sometimes referred to as "piquette" in French.

References

{{Reflist French wine Wine terminology