Compare and Buy Cachaca Online at Comparethedrinks. Chose by Brand/Producer such as Tosolini, Domenis, Romano Levi, Capovilla, Vina Baccana and others. Distilled from pomace, a by-product of the winemaking process found in the winepress after the juice has been extracted, grappa was invented by frugal Italian wine producers endeavouring to extract the last drop of value from their grapes.
Grappa originated in the northern provinces of Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Piedmont, Trentino-Alto Adige and the Veneto. European Union regulations require that the spirit called grappa be made only in Italy. An association of producers founded the Istituto Nazioniale Grappa in 1996 for self-regulation. In geographic denominated areas, the alcohol must be at least 40%; in other areas the alcohol can be 37.5% of volume. The distillation process and the grapes used are further regulated.
A hundred years ago there were nearly 200,000 distillers. This dwindled to next to nothing, and today the number (currently about 130) is increasing.
In addition, there are over 500 "producers", a category which includes bottlers and packagers. Current production is equivalent to 40 million 70cl bottles, though many bottles are packaged in smaller sizes. Production is also increasing for "farm grappa", where the spirit is distilled by contract for growers and sold along with their wines.
Grappa is made by distilling the leavings after pressing grapes for wine. This is done either in continuous or single batch distillation. The oldest stills are direct-fired and double boiler stills, but steam heating is most common nowadays. Grappa development and regulation is ongoing, but virtually all of it is made with a single, slow-distillation process. The resulting liquor is clear, and remains clear as grappa is not aged in wooden casks like Cognac or Brandy.
Due to the exacting nature of this type of refining, in grappa production the "stillman" is equivalent to the winemaker. He or she has responsibility for overall production, taste and quality of the product.
Traditionally, grappa was made from whatever grapes were available, usually a multi-blend of varieties. Today, grape selection is also part of the process. The pioneering firm of Nonino invented cru monovitigno or single-variety grappa in the 1980s. Grappa classifications and designations now follow wine classifications when made from grapes in denominated areas.
Most recently, high-end wine producers such as Antinori and Banfi have also begun grappa production.Today, grappa represents both the past and the present. Distilling the "grape leavings" is a tradition hundreds of years old. Though the flavours, aromas and textures of the liquids are much finer today, many high-end producers retain the visual and tactile sense of the Renaissance or Early Modern era, with bottles and stoppers incorporating a variety of seals, ribbons or laces, caps of gold, and bright decorations of blown and coloured glass.
The Istituto Nazioniale recommends serving grappa in a small, clear, tulip-shaped glass - like a miniature wine glass or Champagne flute. It should be served at a cool temperature of around 9 to 13C for young grappas; older grappas can be served just below room temperature (17C), or can be warmed with the hands if the liquid is too cool.
