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26-537: Grappa is an alcoholic beverage: a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin that contains 35 to 60 percent alcohol by volume (70 to 120 US proof ). Grappa is a protected name in the European Union . Grappa is made by distilling the skins, pulp, seeds and stems (i.e., the pomace ) left over from winemaking after pressing the grapes. It was originally made to prevent waste by using these leftovers. A similar drink, known as acquavite d'uva ,

52-458: A local version called grappamiel has also been created, which sees honey added to the traditional grappa. It is widely served and mostly drunk in winter because it "warms" the throat. Distillation is an ancient practice that can be traced back to the first century AD. The distillation of alcohol may have been carried out reliably by al-Kindī (c. 801–873 CE), al-Fārābī (c. 872–950), and al-Zahrāwī (Latin: Abulcasis, 936–1013), as well as by

78-490: A very small amount of methanol , which is much more toxic than ethanol. Unlike in the similar process of making red wine, in grappa the methanol must be carefully removed during distillation. That is why there is an Italian law requiring winemakers to sell their pomace to grappa makers; this is a measure that was taken against moonshine operations, which are now very rare in Italy. Use of the word grappa for product distilled in

104-410: Is resentin ("little rinser"): after finishing a cup of espresso with sugar, a few drops of grappa are poured into the nearly empty cup, swirled and drunk down in one sip. Noted producers of grappa include Jacopo Poli , Nardini and Nonino . These grappas are produced in significant quantities and are exported; there are also many small local or regional grappas. Most grappa is clear, indicating it

130-409: Is a wide, cylindrical, usually metal container made of three or four basic parts: a handle, an outer (or lower) container that holds the working fluid, an inner (or upper), smaller container that fits inside the outer one and which holds the material to be heated or cooked, and sometimes a base underneath. Under the outer container of the bain-marie (or built into its base) is a heat source. Typically,

156-471: Is an unaged distillate, though some may retain very faint pigments from their original fruit pomace. Lately, aged grappas have become more common, and these take on a yellow or red-brown hue from the barrels in which they are stored. Grappa is also well known in Uruguay and Argentina , due to the significant Italian immigration in those countries. It is served as in Italy, after the main meals. In Uruguay ,

182-404: Is called orujo . Alcohol derived from pomace is also used as the traditional base spirit of other liquors, such as some anise -flavored spirits. Unlike wine brandy , most pomace brandies are neither aged nor coloured. Pomace may be either fermented , semi-fermented, or unfermented. During red wine vinification , the pomace is left to soak in the must for the entire fermentation period and

208-460: Is made by distilling whole must . In Italy, grappa is primarily served as a digestive or after-dinner drink . Its main purpose is to aid in the digestion of heavy meals. Grappa may also be added to espresso coffee to create a caffè corretto , meaning "corrected" coffee. Another variation of this is the ammazzacaffè ("coffee-killer"): the espresso is drunk first, followed by a few ounces of grappa served in its own glass. In Veneto , there

234-602: Is relatively recent, probably in 1979 in Northern Italy. Initially it was carried out by direct flame but soon the advantages of a bain-marie or steam distillation to obtain a better product became obvious. Modern refinements included the distillation of pomace under vacuum, the use of varietal grapes and ageing in casks of various types of wood to improve the flavor of the liquor. Oak is the most used, but some more expensive grappas are aged successively in casks of acacia , ash and cherry-wood, an innovation introduced by

260-433: Is the electric "dry-heat" bain-marie, heated by elements below both pots. The dry-heat form of electric bains-marie often consumes less energy, requires little cleaning, and can be heated more quickly than traditional versions. They can also operate at higher temperatures, and are often much less expensive than their traditional counterparts. Electric bains-marie can also be wet, using either hot water or vapor, or steam, in

286-412: Is thus fermented; fermented pomace is particularly suitable for the production of pomace brandy, as it is soft, dry, and has a high alcohol content. Semi-fermented pomace is produced during rosé wine vinification; the pomace is removed before fermentation is complete. Virgin pomace, which is produced during white wine vinification, is not fermented at all. The pomace is then fermented to completion and

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312-473: The Marzadro Distillery . In Sardinia, Grappa is colloquially known as Filu è Ferru (iron wire), as most of the distillation was illegally home-made to avoid customs and excise taxes. The illegally distilled liquor was bottled, sealed and then buried in orchards, fields and pastures, awaiting sale. A bit of iron wire was tied around the bottleneck, barely protruding through the soil; after some time

338-747: The School of Salerno in the 12th century. Grappa is traditionally produced in Northern Italy and is also widely consumed in places such as Argentina , Bulgaria , Georgia ( chacha ), Uruguay , Galicia ( orujo or aguardiente in Spanish) and Portugal (known as bagaço or bagaceira ). There is a legend that tells of a Roman soldier who first distilled grappa in the northern Italian town of Bassano del Grappa using distilling equipment stolen in Egypt ("Crisiopea di Cleopatra" 2nd century AD). However,

364-511: The Jewess , an ancient alchemist . However, the water bath was known many centuries earlier ( Hippocrates and Theophrastus ), and the balneum Mariae attributed to Mary the Jewess was used to heat its contents above 100  °C , while the bain-marie that continues to be used today only heats its contents up to a gentle heat of less than 100  °C . The double boiler comes in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and types, but traditionally

390-577: The United States is still allowed and falls under the Class definition of brandy further classified type as pomace, specifically grappa or grappa brandy. Professional tasters distinguish among four categories of grappa: young, cask-conditioned, aromatic and aromatized. Grappa tastings begin with young grappas, then continue with cask-conditioned and aromatic grappas, and finish with aromatized grappas. The flavor of grappa, like that of wine, depends on

416-511: The alcohol is then distilled off to produce the pomace brandy. Bain-marie The name comes from the French bain de Marie or bain-marie , in turn derived from the medieval Latin balneum Mariae and the Arabic حمام ماري ḥammām Māriyya , all meaning 'Mary's bath'. In his books, the 300 AD alchemist Zosimos of Panopolis credits for the invention of the device Mary

442-431: The direct fermentation of pure grape juice, which is the method used to produce brandy . Criterion 3 has two important implications. First, the distillation must occur on solids. Thus, it is carried out not with a direct flame but with a bain-marie or steam distillation ; otherwise, the pomace may burn. Second, the woody parts of the grapes (the stems and seeds) are co-fermented with the sugar-rich juice; this produces

468-553: The distilling equipment made it possible to produce a substantially larger amount of distilled wine and to distill pomace. Around 1600 AD, the Jesuits in Spain, Italy and Germany studied and codified the techniques used to produce brandy or grappa, and their methods were used until recent times. The Museum of Wine and Grappa shows historical equipment used in the early years of grappa distillation. The modernisation of grappa distillation

494-508: The heating process. The open, bath-type bain-marie heats via a small, hot-water tub (or "bath"), and the vapour-type bain-marie heats with scalding-hot steam. In cooking applications, a bain-marie usually consists of a pan or pot of water in which another container or containers of food to be cooked is/are placed. In small scale soap-making, a bain-marie's inherent control over maximum temperature makes it optimal for liquefying melt-and-pour soap bases prior to molding them into bars. It offers

520-435: The inner container is immersed about halfway into the working fluid. The inner container, filled with the substance to be heated, fits inside the outer container filled with the working fluid (often water, but alternatively steam or oil). The outer container is heated at or below the base, causing the temperature of the working fluid to rise and thus transferring heat to the inner container. The maximum obtainable temperature of

546-546: The introduction of " boutique " grappas, elaborate flute glasses have been promoted; traditionalists continue to taste grappa in shot glasses . Pomace brandy Pomace spirit (or pomace brandy ) is a liquor distilled from pomace that is left over from winemaking , after the grapes are pressed . It is called marc in both English and French, but " grappa " in Italian and "bagaço" in Portuguese. In Spanish it

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572-405: The maximum temperature of the material in the lower container will not exceed 100 °C (212 °F), the boiling point of water at sea level. Using different working fluids such as oil in the outer container, or pressurizing the outer container, will result in different maximum temperatures obtainable in the inner container. A contemporary alternative to the traditional, liquid-filled bain-marie

598-514: The story cannot be considered reliable as such equipment could not produce grappa. Distillation useful for producing beverages was not discovered until the 8th century, and it likely took about two more centuries for the technology to travel from its home in the Levant and Persia to Italy (likely by route of the Crusades ). Around 1300–1400 AD, however, the introduction of water as a coolant in

624-502: The type and quality of the grapes used, as well as the specifics of the distillation process. After each tasting, and before sampling another glass, some tasters recommend drinking half a glass of milk to refresh the taste receptors on the tongue. Various other food products can help stop taste-characteristics of one grappa from "dragging" or carrying over to the next. Foods that are effective in this role as well as providing an agreeable accompaniment to grappa's own flavor include: With

650-446: The wire would rust and disappear completely save for a faintly brown-red stain to the topsoil on the spot where the bottle was buried. While the peasant distiller could easily recognize the colored spot, the urban-schooled Guardia di Finanza officers were generally unable to tell the difference. Grappa is now a protected name (PGI) in the European Union . To be called grappa, the following criteria must be met: Criterion 2 rules out

676-407: The working fluid is dictated by its composition and boiling point at the ambient pressure. Since the surface of the inner container is always in contact with the working fluid, the double boiler serves as a constant-temperature heat source for the substance being heated, without hot or cold spots that can affect its properties. When the working fluid is water and the bain-marie is used at sea level ,

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