Category Archives: Grappa

I enjoy Grappa all year round. I often drink it after a meal to help me to digest. Sometimes I put a little in my espresso for what the Italians call “caffe corretto.” I like to drizzle Grappa on my lemon granita and other fruit ices, and I pour a little in fruit salad. Michele also cooks with Grappa, especially in desserts made with chocolate.

I have visited Grappa distilleries in Italy on my own and on press trips organized by “Hello Grappa”  because I am passionate about Grappa and always want to know more about it.

When I was invited to a Grappa tasting at Eataly on 5th Ave. in NYC I was happy to accept.  The “Hello Grappa” morning workshop was organized by Balzac Communications. It was a walk around tasting of Grappa from various distilleries in different parts of Italy. There was a short presentation.

Grappa was first called acqua vita, water of life. At one time, it was only a beverage imbibed by farm workers in Northern Italy, especially in the cold months.  It was thought to give them energy before they went into the fields to work and it was a morning drink taken between the hours of 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM. Southern Italy does not have a tradition of Grappa because the weather there is too warm. It is only recently, with the popularity and often-high prices that Grappa has achieved, that wineries in Southern Italy have utilized their grape pomace (vinaccia in Italian) to make Grappa.

Up until about 25 years ago all Grappa was what I call traditional, that is, made without being aged in wood. It was clear in color and the flavor reflected the grapes from which it was made.

Grappa made from white grapes has more aromas and is easier to drink than grappa made from red grapes, although grappa made from red grapes has more taste. If you are going to introduce grappa to someone for the first time it is better to choose a Grappa made from white grapes.

Single grape varieties (monovarietal) are produced with pomace from one type of grape. Pomace is the skins left after the first squeezing of the grapes.  The grape variety can be on the label if at least 85% of the pomace comes from the same grape.

Pomace waiting to be made into Grappa

Many Grappas are produced using pomace from several varieties of grape. If each variety exceeds 15% they must be listed on the label in ascending order.

At a distillery there are 100 days of work, 24/7 from September to December. The freshest selected pomace is distilled each day. The distillation takes place in alembics using the traditional discontinuous bain marie system (steam distillation). The first part of the production called the “head” tastes bad because it contains too much methane (it is said to resemble nail polish) and is therefore discarded. The last part is called the “tail” and contains too many impurities and is also discarded. The discontinuous method produces small amounts of high quality Grappa.

The alembics are handmade out of copper and are excellent conductors of heat. The particular fragrances and aromas of the pomace (a solid raw material made from grape skins) are enhanced to their maximum in order to keep everything uniform. Today almost all distilleries are computerized.

The continuous process of Grappa production in giant stills produces large amounts of Grappa. This type of production produces commercial grappa that is not of a very good quality.

Grappa Anfora aged in Terracotta.

Amphorae made from a blend of different types of clay from the Tuscan towns of Montelupo and Impruneta are also used for aging some of the grappa. This type of aging achieves the micro-oxygenation which is twice what you would find using barrels.

After distillation the traditional (clear) Grappa is left alone in steel or glass containers. The Grappa that is to be aged is placed in barrels of different sizes ranging from 225 liter barriques to 1,500 liter barrels, and even larger. If aged for 12 months, the Grappa is called “aged,” and if aged for 18 months, it is called “reserve.” These aged Grappas take on different shades of colors from straw yellow to amber. They are smoother than traditional Grappa but are much more expensive. Grappa can be aged in wooden barrels of oak, cherry and acacia, or stainless steel and amphorae. Some of the oak barrels used once held port.

Marolo Grappa & Camomile This is a wonderful combination for sipping on its own and for a cold or sore throat in tea.

Grappa can be infused (steeped) with herbal plants such as ruta (rue), which includes a twig in the bottle, grappa camomilla (chamomile), and fruits, such as grappa di mele (apple), grappa di lamponi (raspberry) to name just a few.

Grappa aging is subject to strict control by Italian customs authorities. Inspectors regularly visit the distillery and put seals on the Grappa that has not been bottled to prevent anything being added to the Grappa.

There are 45 distilleries that produce grappa in Italy. According to Italian law, an Italian wine producer cannot make Grappa, but must send it to a licensed distillery. For example, a producer like Banfi will send their pomace to the Bonollo distillery in Siena and tell them what type of Grappa they want, traditional (clear), or aged (in barrels) and the alcohol content they want for their Grappa.

The Grappa

CiVidina  Grappa di Vitigni Artigiana Bepi Tosolini (Fruli-Venezia Giulia) Non-aged, non-vintage, crystal clear. The Grappa is steam distilled in traditional copper stills from the pomace of a mixture of different Friulian grape varieties. It is a clear and fruity full-bodied balanced grappa with hints of citrus, pepper, spice, almonds and floral notes. Perfect for sipping after a meal. $38

Lisa Tosolini, the granddaughter of the owner, was at the tasting

Lisa at the winery speaking about Grappa

I  first met Lisa when I visited the winery a  a few years ago and tasted their “Grappa Smoked.”  This Grappa is distilled by the traditional method with a bain marie pot still.  It is made from Friulian red grape skins and then aged in French oak barriques. The oak casks have gone through a toasting process with Kentucky tobacco leaves. This is a dry and intense  smoked Grappa which tasted like an aged single malt whiskey. This was a first for me and another new twist to what is being done with Grappa.

Poli Distillerie (Veneto) Grappa Cleopatra Moscato Oro Made from Moscato Fior d’Arancio and Moscato Bianco grapes from the Colli Euganei. Distilled with the innovative bain-marie (double boiler vacuum still). Aged for a brief period in oak barrels in the underground cellars of the distillery. It has hints of fresh fruit, honey, citrus and floral notes. According to the producer, the Poli Crysopea is an innovative bain-marie vacuum still equipped with a column without distillation plates. Poli was established in 1898.

La Corte Distilleria Franciacorta (Lombardy) Traditional steam distillation of fresh Franciacorta Marc. This is a clear unaged Grappa with floral notes and a touch of citrus and red fruit.

Grappa Italiana Caffo — Unaged grappa produced at Caffo Distilleria in Udine. Made from 95% Magliocco and Gaglioppo grapes and 5% Pinot Grigio. Distilled twice in a bain-marie style alembic pot-the skins are steam distilled. It has floral notes, underripe tropical fruit, pear a hint of toasted rice and a touch of fresh cream.

Grappa di Barolo Riserva  Mazzetti D’Altavilla made from 100% Nebbiolo. After distillation the Grappa is stored in oak barrels for 2 to 5 years in order to change its original sensory profile. It has hints of dry and is pleasantly tannic with hints of spicy licorice, tobacco, vanilla and leather toasted notes.

Grappino Bertagnolli Trentino-Alto Adige. The pomace is a blend of 80% Teroldego and 20% Chardonnay. When the pomace reaches the distillery it is already fermented and immediately distilled. The distillery utilizes six steam-fired stills to implement the continuous “waterbath” method which allows Bertagnolli to distill just once while still achieving a smooth and velvety grappa. It is a clear Grappa, aromatic with hints of red fruit. $30

Distilleria Marzadro Diciotto Luna Marzadro (Trentino-Alto Adige) made from Marzemino, Teroldego, Merlot, Moscato and Chardonnay.  Traditional distillation in pot stills and aged in small wooden barrels of cherry, ash, oak and Robinia. The aging time follows the rhythms of nature, from moon to moon over 18 months. It is amber in color with hints of cherry, raisins, tobacco and a touch of vanilla. $38

Delta Distilleria Grappa di Chianti (Tuscany) Clear grappa made from Sangiovese, Cabernet, Merlot and Canaiolo. Traditional distillation. Clear, balanced Grappa with floral notes and red fruit $40

Distillerie Bonollo (Tuscany) Consenso Grappa Chianti Classico Riserva aged in rovere (oak), acacia, frassino (ash) and ciliegio (cherry).  The grappa is light in color for one aged in wood. It was balanced with hints of red fruit.  Bonollo, like other distilleries, have plants in different parts pf Italy

Grappa Gra’it Bonolo This is a clear grappa aged in large Slavonian oak casks with just a hint of the wood. It was especially made for mixed drinks and is a “lighter style” Grappa. It is made from the skins of seven different grapes: Prosecco (Glera), Moscato d’Asti, Nebbiolo (Barolo), Nero d’Avola,

Castagner Grappa Casta. Friuli-Venezia Giulia This grappa is made from 85% Glera grapes, which are white grapes used to make Prosecco. It is 40 proof. The Grappa is distilled 5 times to insure purity and is specially formulated for cocktails.

There are over 4,000 Grappa labels on the market today.

Sometimes the Grappa we buy in the US does not taste the same as the ones we drink in Italy even if the labels are the same. Many Grappas imported to the US are “made for the American market” and are much lighter and smoother in style than the ones available in Italy.

I finished the tasting with the following Grappa cocktail.