Autumn is the harvest season but also distillation, rich in aromas and flavours of grappa, a fully Italian excellence recognized and protected since 1989. Since then, in fact, the word “grappa” can indicate only the pomace brandy produced in Italy by Italian stems. This product brings with itself a huge wealth such as culture, history, traditions and passion, often handed down from generation to generation. So, in every drop of grappa, there is not only the distillation of a particular raw material, but also, and above all, a unique history and a wealth of knowledges that allow to obtain products different from each other, appreciating the regional typicalities in terms of stems used, flavours and aromas. Furthermore, grappa is important in terms of environmental sustainability, since its production completes the wine industry in a virtuous way, using and valorizing the residues that, otherwise, would be disposed of with consequent economic and environmental costs.
Born in the rural culture not to waste anything and to recover the residues of the wine, such as skins and grapeseeds, grappa is evolved itself over the years, in production and consumption, and has ceased to be a typical product of rural civilization associated only to the male consumption. In the history of production of grappa, women have always played a leading role, with the processing of residues of wine, and over the years they have also started to drink it more and to promote its organoleptic characteristics, exploiting the strong female sensuality.
Each grappa, in fact, is different from the others, according to the stems used during distillation process, the type of alembic used, but above all according to the art and the uniqueness of each distiller. The diversity of production areas and the source of the stems drive the taster to discover the different varieties of Italian territory, from north to south, through flavours and aromas that tell a territory, its culture and its traditions.
The promotion of a conscious taste and consumption of grappa and distillates, exalting their flavours, aromas and typical production, counts since 1978 on the association Anag, Assaggiatori grappa e acquaviti (Tasters grappa and acquaviti), active and present in 11 Italian regions with regional and provincial delegations. Through courses for tasters, tasting events and other opportunities to meet regional food and wine, the main purpose of Anag is always one: to promote a “culture of drinking” where quality, rather than quantity, joins tradition, expertise and spread of a product considered a national excellence and among the ambassadors of Italy in the world.
Today the System of Italian grappa counts on a production of 85.000 ettanidri (a ettanidro is equal to 100 liters of anhydrous alcohol, pure to 100 degrees); a placing overall consumption of 75.000 ettanidri, with about 25 per cent for foreign markets; 300 million in revenue and about a thousand people employed directly, in addition to 20.000 persons in related industries.
(Source: Istituto Nazionale Grappa)