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Grappa: Italy's Firewater By Julie Coen
This potent firewater anesthetized
generations of Northern Italians from the physical and spiritual pain of
poverty. It was originally produced in the region of Friuli where the
local custom was to "rinse" the after dinner coffee cup with a shot of
the schnaaps-like beverage. On a bad day a breakfast rinse was in order.
Children were given a shot of grappa before heading out into the cold
weather for school.
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| Grappa means
"grape stalk" in Italian. |
The origin of grappa is uncertain, but
written word first traces it to the mid-fifteenth century when it was
distilled in the Italian Alps and foothills. Even the rafters who
transported wood to Venice stopped on their way down for a snort at the
center of grappa production in Bassano del Grappa. The shop run by the
Nardini family on a covered wooden bridge spanning the Brenta River was
a favorite. The Nardini's are still open today for grappa tasting.
Grappa is also traditional in the
northern regions of Trentino-Alto Adige and Val d'Aosta. Illegal
Schnaapstuifl (stills) were hidden in laundries because they used
some of the same equipment.
Grappa is created from the leftovers of
wine-making—the pomice or vinace. These are the grape skins that have
been pressed. The word grappa literally means "grape stalk" in Italian.
It is one the great examples of Italian recycling ingenuity. It is very
important that the vinace is fresh and moist when it is fermented.
Grappa can be made in any grape-growing region, but the better quality
of grape, the better the grappa.
Distillers used to travel from one
vineyard to the next, where they distilled on the spot and provided the
growers with the potent spirit to ward off the cold. Still mobile after
all these years, the Nonino family of Friuli produces some of Italy's
highest quality grappas. After fermentation, the vinace must be
carefully heated. The still is often placed in a second water-filled
container called a bagnomaria (waterbath) or steamed to avoid
burning. The second factor for producing quality grappa then comes into
play. The distiller must have a good "nose" to know the exact moment
that the testa or head of the mixture can be separated and the heart (il
cuore) of the grappa captured. A quality end product must be crystal
clear.
A grappa that has been aged in oak will
have a golden tint. A riserva or stravecchia is aged at
least one year, but many grappas are aged for two years or more. Most
grappas are blends of different grapes but the monovitigno, one
grape-variety, has become popular, true to wine-making tradition in the
Piedmont region.
It is best to drink a young grappa
lightly chilled in a tall thin glass. Aged varieties are better at room
temperature from a brandy snifter. Grappa bottles range in size and many
unusual shapes but the color of glass is as crystal clear as the liquor
itself.
To many Italians, despite the elegant
packaging, grappa remains a folk remedy for toothache, bronchitus,
rheumatism and indigestion. When it is done, the spent pomice is pressed
into cakes, dried and used as fuel for the still. The ashes are returned
to the vineyard as fertilizer and so the natural cycle is completed.
Salute!
The Grappa Glass
Description:
Grappa, a traditional
digestivo, is very much part of Italian gastronomic culture. Yet
what is perceived as its pungent harshness has led to it being dismissed
by some untrained noses and palates as mere firewater.
The arrival of this
glass should help dispel such misconceptions and reveal the true
delights of this underrated spirit.
This glass features
a very small evaporation surface, and tasters may be surprised
to detect not fiery fumes, but rather delicate floral aromas
reminiscent of a summer meadow. The glass delivers a very narrow
flow onto the tip of the tongue, accentuating the fruit and
mineral elements of the spirit. Its alcoholic strength does
become apparent in the aftertaste, but does so in harmony with
the other flavour components in a general suffusing warmth.
Recommended for:
Grappa, Marc, Tresternbrände
Measurement:
Height: 200mm 7 7/8in.
Capacity: 110ccm 3 7/8oz
Sources:
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