Grappa

Grappa is an alcoholic drink identified commonly as pomace brandy, spirit or distillate. Journalist Daniel Wakin defines grappa simply as "distillation of the sediment left after pressing grapes to make wine." The National Grappa nstitute in !rescia, taly, denominates grappa as The spirit produced from grape marc (i.e. from the skins of the grapes after they have been separated from the must or the wine) possibly with a percentage of wine lees. Raw materials must be obtained from grapes produced and processed in Italy, distilled in plants located in Italy and complying with well-defined re uirements, as set forth by the regulations in force. "# $egulation %&'()*+ describes grape marc spirit, grape marc or grappa ,all three terms are -irtually interchangeable. as a spirit drink - produced from grape marc fermented and distilled either directly by water vapor, or after water has been added! a percentage of lees that is to be determined in accordance with the procedure laid down in "rticle #$ may be added to the marc, the distillation being carried out in the presence of the marc itself at less than %& ' vol. Redistillation at the same alcoholic strength is authori(ed, - containing a uantity of volatile substances e ual to or e)ceeding #*+ grams per hectoliter of #++ ' vol alcohol and having a ma)imum methyl alcohol content of #+++ grams per hectoliter of #++ ' vol alcohol. /a-ing originally emerged as a poor man0s drink, grappa has recently attained status e1ui-alent to that of 2cotch whisky or e31uisite cognacs. talians sip it for breakfast, its is added into coffee and also used as a digesti-e after meals or an ingredient in cooking ,e.g., in cakes, cookies and homemade sausages..

What Is the History and Present of Grappa Production?

talians claim that grappa was in-ented in their country. 4lthough it is impossible to 1uote the year of in-ention, most sources claim se-eral centuries5 worth of tradition for this product. Grappa0s origins are unclear and se-eral theories ha-e been proposed by historians e3plaining how the drink first emerged. While certain historians go as far back in history as the &th century, attributing distillation skills to the !urgundians, others attribute this knowledge to 6riulians ,inhabitants of a northern taly region. e-en before the &th century. 7et another theory refers to the +th century 2icily occupied by the 4rabs who had brought distilling to "urope. 4 general consensus dates grappa at least %&88 years old. $esourceful peasants in North taly de-eloped grappa not only to use up the pomace lefto-ers from wine production, but also to find escape from their hard work and cold winter temperatures. The %+(8s and %+'8s witnessed a redisco-ery of grappa thanks to a growing popularity of elegant talian cuisine.

Generally speaking, grappa is a marc9based spirit. The marc li1uor is distilled from grape skins ,pomace. left o-er in the wine press after grape pressing for :uice during regular wine9production. talian producers ha-e elaborated their production techni1ues, priding themsel-es on high91uality grappa made from marc e3clusi-ely after the first pressing. 2uch marc still contains much of the original fla-or of the particular grape type and thus the final product resembles brandy or fruit9based li1uor. The higher content of moisture in this pomace also impro-es the 1uality of distilled grappa. The recent trend has been for each talian distillery to produce its own -ariant of grappa and that thousands of different grappa -arieties are estimated to e3ist. Nowadays, grappa producers see their priority in 1uality, not 1uantity. Grappa is no longer :ust a brandy of the common man. ;oderni<ed production technologies and the competiti-eness of the field ha-e dri-en the trend towards marketing grappa in creati-e packaging and e31uisitely blown bottles of miscellaneous shapes whereby the aesthetic features of the product underline its reputable 1uality.

How Is Grappa Produced?

Grappa distilling is a rather comple3 and e3pensi-e process. Generally speaking, talian producers concentrate on producing smaller 1uantities, but of superior 1uality. The main substance used in grappa production is pomaces, i.e. skins of grapes pressed during wine production. =omaces deli-ered to the distillery can be of three -arieties, depending on the degree of their fermentation> pure ,from white wines.? half9fermented ,from rosato.? and fully fermented ,from red wine.. During the production, fruit sugar is transformed into high9percentage alcohol in two ma:or steps> ,%. pressing @ fermentation and ,A. distillation. The purpose of distillation is simply to separate alcohol from water. =omaces must be distilled solid, because talian law prohibits adding water. 6or a more technical clarification of the process, let0s refer to an e3planation pro-ided in the !ehrendts0 book> The pomace is heated until it gives off steam, which is then captured, cooled, and condensed into a li uid. The highly volatile substances such as methyl alcohol, ethyl esters of acetic acid, and acetaldehyde have the lowest boiling point, and since they not only ruin the taste of the distillate but are in some cases poisonous, they are cut off from the run as the so-called head. The purest alcohol and aromatic substances appear as steam at medium temperatures. ,nly this middle part of the run, the -heart- of the distillation, is condensed into grappa. In the -tail,- which is also cut off, are water and still more impurities, chiefly fusel oils such as amyl alcohol. The distiller has to be able to distinguish between the several phases and be certain of capturing only the middle run. The more successfully it is separated from the head . tail, the purer and more delicate the distillate. 4lthough grappa does not generally re1uire such a long aging as some other alcoholic drinks do, talian law re1uires si3 months of aging after the production itself is complete.

/owe-er, there are distilleries that not only age grappa for si3 months in wooden barrels, but also add another si3 months of aging in airtight glass flasks or stainless9steel tanks. This added step in the production process allows producers subse1uently to add more prestigious label designations such as invecchiata ,i.e., aged., stravecchia ,-ery old. or riserva ,reser-e.. Bther -arieties of grappa include fla-ored grappas produced by adding natural herbal e3tracts or fruits that create such surprising fla-ors as cinnamon, ha<elnut, almond or strawberry. Distilleria ;ar<adro is probably the best e3ample of talian in-enti-eness when it comes to fla-ored grappas> imagine such fla-ors as !lueberry9 =each, !anana96ig or $aspberry9Ci1uorices. 4mong the well9known talian grappa producers are Nardini, !runello, ;angilli and 2tock. Here are some of the Grappas offered by NCL: Grappa Cellini Dedicated to !en-enuto Dellini, a great goldsmith and sculptor from 6lorence, this li1uor calls to mind the world of art, and its lo-e for perfection and attention to e-ery detail. This Grappa is made using a still designed by Domboni, a renowned researcher at the Benology 2chool of Donegliano. nside this special still, any hydroalcoholic humour of white grape marc is e3hausted by the action of a current of steam. 4t the end of distillation, it is fro<en at a temperature of 9%8ED and then any remaining molecule is filtered. 4t the end of this stage, it is refined inside steel barrels for ( months, so as to obtain a better blending of its aromas. 2er-ing suggestions> 2traight at %A)%FE, or chilled. Bottega Gianduia Ci1ueur is a rich, dark, chocolate li1ueur with a grappa base. Grappa can ha-e a rough edge, but this has none of that 1uality. The aroma is lush with ha<elnuts and butterscotch, and the fla-or is intense with roasted nuts and a big dark chocolate finish. 2er-ing 2uggestions> !ecause of its low alcohol content it is particularly suitable as an after9dinner drink, or at tea time, as an alternati-e to warm drinks. Dhilled, it is e1ually good, and is a much praised ingredient for delicious cocktails. Bottega Mirtillo is a Grappa9based blueberry li1ueur. This li1ueur is produced with grappa and blueberries. The berries are clearly -isible inside the bottle and ha-e beneficial properties for the sight. 2er-ing 2uggestions> 2traight at %A)%FE or chilled. This li1uor has strong digesti-e properties and can be consumed after meals. t is e3cellent to decorate ices and cream sorbets. Grappa Sandro Bottega Morbida is a =inot and =rosecco Grappa and is the flagship of the !ottega Dlub line of distillates? it comes in a bottle that reminds of a drop of grappa during distillation. The marc is obtained from two acclaimed -arieties> =inot and Dhardonnay. 4fter discontinuous steam9distillation inside stills, it is allowed to age and impro-e some months in stainless steel containers.

2er-ing 2uggestions> 2traight at %A)%FE, or chilled. Grappa Sandro Bottega Moscato is a ;oscato grappa. This grappa is made from the marc of fresh golden white ;oscato grapes. During steam9distillation inside stills, its alcohol content is not allowed to increase too much, in order to preser-e its aroma intensity. 2er-ing suggestions> 2traight at %A)%FE, or chilled. Uve d !le"ander Cabernet: 4le3ander is a prestigious name gi-en to a wide range of high91uality mono9-ariety grappas, made from the marc of selected grapes. The best talian grape -arieties ha-e been chosen to fully satisfy the palates of distillate connoisseurs. #-e d04le3ander is a name that o-er time has de-eloped a prestigious reputation and is the guarantee of superior91uality eau39de9-ie. Dabernet G both 6ranc and 2au-ignon G originally comes from the Gironde department. 4t the beginning of the last century it became -ery popular in taly, and especially in the Heneto region. The grappas obtained from the marc of its :uicy black grapes are particularly te3tured and fragrant. 4le3ander Grappa di Dabernet is distilled inside stills in a discontinuous process. 2er-ing suggestions> 2traight at %A)%FE, or chilled. !le"ander #orld: =inot Grappa The profiles in relief of the continents plough a blown9glass sphere, which represents the world. 4 little globe, e3treme synthesis of a planet with no mysteries, within reach of the third millennium man. 2er-ing suggestions> 2traight at %A)%FE, or chilled. !le"ander Heart: Dhardonnay Grappa 4 hand9blown sphere featuring a heart suspended in %88I Grappa di Dhardonnay? 2er-ing suggestions> 2traight at %A)%FE, or chilled. Grappa di Sassicaia: Dabernet Grappa =roduced by Jacopo =oli by distillation of Dabernet pomaces from -ines within !olgheri0s Tenuta 2an Guido. The freshest lots are soft pressed from the must immediately following maceration. t is then placed in small, copper stills in which a single, slow distillation preser-es the most complete range of aromas and fla-ors in the finished spirit. 6inally, the distilled grappa spends & years in small oak barrels to integrate the elegant, finely9structured fruit and herbal aromas of the Dabernet with the intensity of the spirit. 2er-ing suggestions> 2traight at %A)%FE, or chilled. $oli %orcolato This grappa is made from Hespaiolo and Tocai grapes that are left to dry on screens until the sugar content reaches J89F8I. The Knoble rotL that attacks the grapes during the drying process creates organoleptic compounds which are -aluable to the production of grappa. The grapes are the same as those in 6austo ;aculan5s famous Torcolato dessert wine, made in the hills of !regan<e where the soil is -olcanic, calcareous and marly.

2er-ing suggestions> 2traight at %A)%FE, or chilled. Grappa &acopo $oli 'espaiolo 6rom the =oli distillery, Henetia, taly. /alf9fermented pomace made from the Henetian Hespaiolo grapes from the !regan<e hills. 4 noble Grappa with an intensi-e fruity summer bou1uet> Gooseberries, apricots, raspberries, peaches 9 winy taste with a strong plain9chocolate aroma. 2er-ing suggestions> 2traight at %A)%FE, or chilled.