Distillation is the process of separating alcohol from fermented liquids by heating them to create vapor, then cooling that vapor back into liquid form, concentrating the alcohol content from wine's typical 12-15% to spirits' 40%+ alcohol levels. In wine production, distillation creates brandy (from wine), grappa (from grape pomace), and marc (from pressed grape skins), with the quality of the original wine directly impacting the final spirit's character. The process typically involves either pot stills, which produce more flavorful, artisanal spirits in small batches, or column stills, which create cleaner, more neutral spirits efficiently at larger scales.