Italian grappas are rightly among the excellences that make Italy famous all over the world for its food and wine products, characterized by excellent quality and ancient tradition. This distillate is still produced today following a historical process.
Here you will discover what they are and you will know the long history of Italian grappa. You will also discover how they were produced over a century ago and how they are made today.
We will finally see what are the different types of Italian grappa that are produced in different regions.
piaceri-italiani.
What are Italian grappas?
Italian grappas are distillates that are part of the history and tradition of this country. Its long history begins in Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Trentino and Piedmont and then spread throughout the world. This drink has unique characteristics that make it different from any other. According to a law of 2008 Italian grappa is a protected geographical indication so no other nation can use this name.
For its production can be used different types of marc. These must be Italian and coming exclusively from Italian grapes.
Distillation takes place by putting the pomace, that is what is left over from the pressing of wine grapes, in special copper boilers. The water vapor extracts the alcoholic part that is contained there obtaining the grappa.
piuvenduti
Italian grappa: the story
The first sure testimonies attest the production of the grappa in Italy in the XV century D. C. even if some oral sources make to go back its origin to the I century A. C. . The first publication on the subject was the treatise De Conficienda Aqua Vitae by the Paduan doctor Savonarola in the early 1400s.
Grappa as it is known today dates back to the early 1300s. Around 1800 Italian winemakers began to specialize in the production of grappa. In the beginning grappa was the expression of a rural culture linked to the rhythms of nature, which did not know the waste, which was able to benefit from every good offered by the land. In fact, grappa uses stems, skins, remains of fermented must, all the leftovers of grape pressing. The upper classes did not appreciate the taste of grappa thus obtained, preferring more refined and expensive wine distillates. Marc brandy was an authentically popular expression and has come down to us today.
After the end of the Second World War this drink managed to win a place in the history of the country. Today Italian grappa is one of the most appreciated alcoholic productions of the peninsula.
grapparevolution
The production of Italian grappa in the past and today
In the past the production of Italian grappa followed the traditional method. Between the stills used in the house and those of the distilleries changed only the size. Domestic distillation was then prohibited by law.
Modern tools for industrial distillation arrived in 1900. Initially, only one type was produced, that is, white grappa that came from mixed distilled marc.
At that time the production of grappa derived from only one selected vine was not widespread. Today Italian grappa must follow strict rules in order to be defined as such. In fact, they must have an exclusively Italian origin and must belong to grapes grown only in Italy.
corsiperbarman
Italian grappa: the different types
In Italy there are different grappa, determined by the territory of origin and the raw material used for the production of the distillate. It is the marc that can be of two types or fermented or not. In Italy there are 9 typical geographical indications. These are:
- Friuli Venezia Giulia
- Trentino Alto Adige
- Veneto
- Lombardy
- Piedmont
- Barolo
- Sicily
- Marsala
In the different regions grappa is produced with different variations that are faithful to the territory of origin. The different types of Italian grappa derive from a centuries-old history of tradition and culture.
The main distinctions that can be made concern young and aged grappa. The latter can also be aged in wood and in this case is called barricade. The young grappa can also be of a aromatized type with the use of natural vegetable aromas that are used to give the drink scent and color. This is what differentiates products from each other.
Remember that grappa is a superalcolic, it takes little to appreciate a world of flavor, because today’s grappa are softer, less impetuous than in the past and allow you to enjoy the taste without haste.
Copertina: Nonino