Serving Grappa: How and What to Drink

Bortolo Nardini founded his distillery in 1779. Steam distillation was introduced in 1860, and the distillery was renamed Bartolo Nardini Distilleria a Vapor. Over the next century and more, the distillery continued to move and expand to meet overwhelming demand. Clear and un-aged, Nardini Grappa Bianca is twice-distilled from the pomace of cabernet, merlot, pinot bianco, and fruilana (tocai) grapes. Distillation takes place from October to May. The spirit is reduced to 50% ABV before packaging.

The Bonollo family traces its distilling history back to 1908 and has acquired other companies dating back to the 1800s in Northeast Italy’s Veneto region. Amarone — a rich, red wine made with dried grapes — is the region’s most celebrated wine and provides the base for this luxurious grappa. The spare-no-expense ethos extends to the aging regime which occurs in small oak barrels for maximum extraction.

Sarpa di Poli comes from the Poli family in northern Italy who have been distilling grappa for over 100 years. "Sarpa" in the Venetian dialect means "grape pomace" which is the foundation for grappa. This bottling is a blend of grappas made from the pomace or skins of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.

Bortolo Nardini established his distillery in 1779, making it one of the oldest in Italy. It continues to be family-run to this day. Nardini Grappa Riserva is distilled from the pomace of cabernet, merlot, pinot bianco, and fruilana (tocai) grapes. Distillation takes place from October to May. The spirit is aged for an average of 5 years in Slavonian oak barrels and reduced to 50% ABV before packaging.

Marolo Grappa di Barolo 12 Years is a grappa distilled from the pomace of Nebbiolo, a red wine grape variety grown in the Piedmont region of northern Italy. It is aged for 12 years in small oak barrels and bottled at 50% ABV.

A dual-varietal grappa, made primarily of Pinot Noir with a bit of Pinot Blanc must, sourced mostly in the Veneto. Distilled twice in small copper pot-stills.

Marolo Grappa di Moscato is produced by Distilleria Marolo in Italy. Aged in stainless steel, this unaged brandy is distilled from the pomace of grapes used in the production of Moscato d'Asti, a sparking white wine.

This grappa is distilled from the pomace of 100% Oregon pinot noir grapes. The careful selection of the sourced pomace from pinot noir grapes is important as the pressing of the grapes must be done gently in order for there to be something to ferment. This is sold in both 375ml and 750ml sized bottles.