What a great post! My first introduction to grappa was in Istria. We stayed at a little guest house in a tiny town called Draguč (Draguccio in Italian, which our host spoke fluently, on account of being old enough to remember when Istria belonged to Italy). Her husband made his own grappa, and when we arrived, they welcomed us with cake and little glasses of grappa. We brought home two bottles of it, and every time I drank it I would remember the beautiful view from the hill town of Draguč.
What a nice memory! I'm glad you're able to revisit Draguccio each time you had a sip.
Interestingly -- this falls into my implied complaint in the article about the over-reach of regulations -- a drink made just like grappa in Draguccio can't legally be called grappa. It would have to be "acquavite di vinaccia" or something like that. Legally, grappa can only be made in Italy or in Ticino (the Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland). But I think you should keep thinking of it as grappa as a kind of private civil disobedience.
Grappa… you are not Italian if you never got intoxicated with it at least once. My husband, grown up in the North-East of Italy, got so badly drunk on cheap grappa at 14yo that he only accepted to try it again after 40 years: this time, it was the good stuff, and now he likes it a lot. I like grappa, but not being a big fan of hard liquor I never got sick with it, because my stomach always told me a big NO in front of a first sip of bad grappa. But I must say that offering grappa to the unsuspecting foreigner friend will never stop being the Italian way to challenge and measure their ability to keep their composure, especially when the offer comes from an unassuming elderly lady with a smile on her face.
I think that with my first grappa, I mentioned above in the post, I was probably being "tested" the way you describe. I'd like to think I've never tested an unsuspecting visitor in that way, but maybe I have. The subconscious mind is beyond understanding.
I remember stopping once at a service station along the autostrada and the tiny bar there carried a product that was basically pocket grappa— a little plastic bag full of grappa aimed I suppose at long-haul truckers. It seemed a dubious idea and I doubt that it met any of your quality standards. But very happy to have a list now of quality brands to replenish my supply.
In Rome I will almost always choose genziana to finish a meal but now that I live up north I am discovering all of the amazing grappa choices. I also like barricata best but I just brought back a few bottles of clear grappa infused with alpine herbs from a recent trip.
Did you ever drink Nerone, the Roman digestivo? It has nothing to do with grappa, but I think it's an under-appreciated end-of-dinner option.
I didn't get into the infused grappas much here for reasons of space. But they can be very tasty. I have a Sicilian grappa infused with rosemary at home.
Do you need to smoke cigars to enjoy grappa?? Di you notice that Soldati and Hemingway are both smoking stogies the photos you used?
I think something good that everyone likes "Pachelbel's Canon", the music. Seriously, I never met anyone who doesn't like it ......any generation, culture, taste in music, etc etc etc
Haha. I did notice that about the photos, but it's just a coincidence. They were the two photos I liked the most.
And I think you are correct about "Pachelbel's Canon" ... when my nephew was young I wanted to help him understand different genres of music and that was the piece I chose to represent classical baroque. He didn't like Mikes Davis or Bob Dylan or Chopin, but he listened to "Pachelbel's Canon" over and over.
Our local trattoria has wild kareoke nights entirely fuelled by the local grappa fire water, illuminated by a combination of lightning and dancing fairy lights. ‘Viva per lei’ by Tuscan villagers is something to behold.
I know! And these are operatic voices not our usual family attempt at shouting as if in a football crowd. But immense fun, and a great way to be recognised and get waves in the community which is great for us :-)
There's only one grappa I've ever managed to like, a chamomile one that some old Venetian guy served me years back. It's such a challenge for me. I'm a supertaster, and it's just way too intense.
It is an intense drink ... certainly not one to approach too casually.
Have you ever tried a slightly aged grappa made from Moscato? They aren't that easy to find, since Moscato grappa can already be soft and floral, and aging it softens it more and creates the risk that the wood flavor could dominate. But I had one once, in Piemonte. It was a while back, but I remember being surprised by how tame it was.
Still, if grappa's not your thing it's not your thing. Luckily, there are plenty of other strong options for the epilogue to a good meal.
Have you ever had chacha from Georgia? Very similar but often treated as an afterthought. Most will burn you esophagus, but the ones that are well done are lovely.
I don't usually drunk grappa because I don't like spirits, but I do have enough wine education to know how to pick a good one.
No, I've never even heard of chacha! I've traveled a lot but I've never even been to Georgia.
I know there are a lot of grappa-like drinks around: pisco in Peru, tsipouro in Greece, eau-de-vie and marc in France, orujo in Spain. I don't know any of them nearly as well as I do Grappa, but at least based on my superficial research they seem to follow the same trend: most of the time they smell and taste like lighter fluid, but a rare good one is worth the trouble.
Love this. I feel like I just got a masterclass in grappa and now I’m itching to try it again with fresh eyes (and maybe a tulip glass).
Travel keeps teaching me the same thing—sometimes the misunderstood, overlooked bits turn out to be the soul of a place. Hemingway knew it, and you’ve reminded me.
Grappa! I’ve never heard of such a thing until I got a job tending bar in a high-end Italian restaurant near Chicago. The manager had me taste them so I would understand what I was serving. I do believe it was a Nonino. It was a mistake on their part because I think I nipped little half glasses until the bottle was gone!
I seldom have it when I’m in the states anymore, usually exorbitantly priced, but whenever I’m in Italy I’ll have an occasional glass or even sometimes a café Coretto. I often don’t know what I’m ordering, just the house grappa wherever I’m at. Usually quite good.
I’ve spent time in Spain the last few years, and my favorite after dinner drink there is their version of grape brandy, Orujo blanca( they also make a sweetened yellow version, which is terrible)
Some of my best travel experiences were made from the “buddies“ I made by ordering grappa or orujo in small town cafés. Everybody so pleased that a foreigner enjoys their local drink. So glad there are others out there who appreciate this wonderful drink.
Not only is it expensive in the states, it's also usually not the high-end stuff. If you live near an Eataly you can find it there.
Café Coretto! That's another thing I considered for this column but left out because of space. Grappa is so strong and rustic it doesn't work well as a mixer. It just dominates whatever it's mixed with (sometimes aged grappa can be a substitute for Brandy or Bourbon in some drinks). But grappa and coffee is a good match because they're both strong. I love a nice Café Coretto when it's cold and raining.
Great topic. We used to drink it a while back but it was not easy to discern the good from the not good. I will try again when I am in Italy in November. And I loved the Hemingway reference. In A Moveable Feast, he writes with relish about sampling the aqua vitae at Gertrude Stein's place. I will be in Paris too, so I'll pass by her place.
I think you were around when I was just starting to think grappa could be more than a kind of punishment.
Aqua vitae is a brand category that includes grappa. In fact, some bottles of Nardini are called aqua vitae because they use grapes as well as pomace. The blend isn't make it any easier going down, though.
I don't remember that about A Moveable Feast. Maybe I should re-read it at some point.
Nice one, Eric! Such a lovely way to finish a meal. Great read! I think the best I have tried came from Sicily and was made in the foothills of Etna. There is something very particular about Etna wines, which is seriously expressed in the Grappa. Maybe that is the 'soul' of the place?
Honestly, I don't recall if I've ever had a grappa from Etna, but I admit there's something mysterious about things grown there. Etna Bianco and Etna Rosso are among my go-to wines, reliably good at almost any price point. I've had good sparking wines from there. I had a nice Etna Rosato this summer. Even tomatoes grown on Etna are delicious.
I have no doubt that a grappa from Etna would be tasty. I'm going to keep my eyes open for one. Is there a specific producer you'd suggest?
Alas, it is long gone…. I had a bottle that I was nursing very, very slowly, but it has been a year since I finished it. I did not keep the bottle, or label. Sorry. But, as you say, the wines there are great, so you can probably find a good one fairly easily.
I usually have around five grappa options to choose from and due in part to my search for inspiration for this post I’m now down to three. So I’ll keep my eyes open for an Etna grappa to take one of the vacant slots.
As time passes, we understand poetry better, while grappa represents a kind of natural bond. For this reason, the flavor of grappa is easier to grasp, while wine has a complex flavor, and experience helps us understand it. This is my interpretation, what do you think, Eric? I don't drink grappa, and none of my friends do, I mean, people between 45 and 60. I associate grappa with something a bit old-fashioned and obsolete. I have a bottle of grappa at home that I rarely use in the dough for certain dessert recipes. But if I had to tell you a drink I love after a meal, I'd say a sweet wine like Albana or a passito.
Ciao Monica: I like the idea of grappa as a natural bond. That seems right.
I'm in the same age group you discussed and I drink grappa regularly (in small quantities, of course). I find a lot of passito wines and most dessert wines too syrupy and sweet, though if they have an acidic bite to them (have you had Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo? Or one of the less sweet Tokaji wines from Hungary?) then count me in.
If you're curious to try a grappa you might like, look for one made from Moscato and just slightly barrel aged -- with the slightest straw-gold color. I mentioned it in another comment. It's hard to find, but it might be one you'd enjoy.
Grappa is probably for curious foodies. I see that among Italians of my generation and younger people, knowledge of grappa and the habit of drinking it (not getting drunk on grappa) is not widespread except in some regions of Italy. Thank you for the advice. (P.S.: I agree with you; from food to liqueurs, everything is good if it is of high quality; otherwise, it is better to avoid it).
For me, barrel-aged makes all the difference. I recently had a Prosecco-based one that was excellent; unfortunately I forgot to photograph the bottle. As for grappa being the soul of Italy, perhaps it’s because it’s the drink of the hardworking peasant, arguably him/herself being the soul of Italy. 🤷🏼♀️
Good point about aged vs clear. As for my suggested interpretation, it’s probably also the most obvious (the stating of which I’ve gotten too good at).
I must admit I have never been a huge fan, most often opting for a dark herbal amaro in instances where either are offered and available. But I will certainly try your suggestions, in honor of Hemingway.
What a great post! My first introduction to grappa was in Istria. We stayed at a little guest house in a tiny town called Draguč (Draguccio in Italian, which our host spoke fluently, on account of being old enough to remember when Istria belonged to Italy). Her husband made his own grappa, and when we arrived, they welcomed us with cake and little glasses of grappa. We brought home two bottles of it, and every time I drank it I would remember the beautiful view from the hill town of Draguč.
What a nice memory! I'm glad you're able to revisit Draguccio each time you had a sip.
Interestingly -- this falls into my implied complaint in the article about the over-reach of regulations -- a drink made just like grappa in Draguccio can't legally be called grappa. It would have to be "acquavite di vinaccia" or something like that. Legally, grappa can only be made in Italy or in Ticino (the Italian-speaking canton of Switzerland). But I think you should keep thinking of it as grappa as a kind of private civil disobedience.
Grappa… you are not Italian if you never got intoxicated with it at least once. My husband, grown up in the North-East of Italy, got so badly drunk on cheap grappa at 14yo that he only accepted to try it again after 40 years: this time, it was the good stuff, and now he likes it a lot. I like grappa, but not being a big fan of hard liquor I never got sick with it, because my stomach always told me a big NO in front of a first sip of bad grappa. But I must say that offering grappa to the unsuspecting foreigner friend will never stop being the Italian way to challenge and measure their ability to keep their composure, especially when the offer comes from an unassuming elderly lady with a smile on her face.
Your comments always make me laugh!
I think that with my first grappa, I mentioned above in the post, I was probably being "tested" the way you describe. I'd like to think I've never tested an unsuspecting visitor in that way, but maybe I have. The subconscious mind is beyond understanding.
I remember stopping once at a service station along the autostrada and the tiny bar there carried a product that was basically pocket grappa— a little plastic bag full of grappa aimed I suppose at long-haul truckers. It seemed a dubious idea and I doubt that it met any of your quality standards. But very happy to have a list now of quality brands to replenish my supply.
Thanks, from one Eric to another!
I didn't mean that list of five brands to necessarily be recommendations, but those producers are a good place to start. Enjoy!
In Rome I will almost always choose genziana to finish a meal but now that I live up north I am discovering all of the amazing grappa choices. I also like barricata best but I just brought back a few bottles of clear grappa infused with alpine herbs from a recent trip.
Did you ever drink Nerone, the Roman digestivo? It has nothing to do with grappa, but I think it's an under-appreciated end-of-dinner option.
I didn't get into the infused grappas much here for reasons of space. But they can be very tasty. I have a Sicilian grappa infused with rosemary at home.
I’m not a Nerone fan, it’s still a tad too sweet (syrupy?) for me. I am now on the hunt for Sicilian grappa!
Yes, I also find Nerone kind of syrupy. But it generally gets good reviews from dinner guests and many are surprised it's not more popular.
Do you need to smoke cigars to enjoy grappa?? Di you notice that Soldati and Hemingway are both smoking stogies the photos you used?
I think something good that everyone likes "Pachelbel's Canon", the music. Seriously, I never met anyone who doesn't like it ......any generation, culture, taste in music, etc etc etc
Haha. I did notice that about the photos, but it's just a coincidence. They were the two photos I liked the most.
And I think you are correct about "Pachelbel's Canon" ... when my nephew was young I wanted to help him understand different genres of music and that was the piece I chose to represent classical baroque. He didn't like Mikes Davis or Bob Dylan or Chopin, but he listened to "Pachelbel's Canon" over and over.
Our local trattoria has wild kareoke nights entirely fuelled by the local grappa fire water, illuminated by a combination of lightning and dancing fairy lights. ‘Viva per lei’ by Tuscan villagers is something to behold.
It would take a lot of grappa to make me get up and sing in front of a whole bar! But it sounds like a fun scene.
I know! And these are operatic voices not our usual family attempt at shouting as if in a football crowd. But immense fun, and a great way to be recognised and get waves in the community which is great for us :-)
There's only one grappa I've ever managed to like, a chamomile one that some old Venetian guy served me years back. It's such a challenge for me. I'm a supertaster, and it's just way too intense.
I don't think I'm a supertaster but I'm like you. Maybe men like it more? I just have to smell a grappa and I feel like I got drunk!!
It is an intense drink ... certainly not one to approach too casually.
Have you ever tried a slightly aged grappa made from Moscato? They aren't that easy to find, since Moscato grappa can already be soft and floral, and aging it softens it more and creates the risk that the wood flavor could dominate. But I had one once, in Piemonte. It was a while back, but I remember being surprised by how tame it was.
Still, if grappa's not your thing it's not your thing. Luckily, there are plenty of other strong options for the epilogue to a good meal.
I'd be willing to try that and will look for it once I'm back in il bel paese.
Have you ever had chacha from Georgia? Very similar but often treated as an afterthought. Most will burn you esophagus, but the ones that are well done are lovely.
I don't usually drunk grappa because I don't like spirits, but I do have enough wine education to know how to pick a good one.
No, I've never even heard of chacha! I've traveled a lot but I've never even been to Georgia.
I know there are a lot of grappa-like drinks around: pisco in Peru, tsipouro in Greece, eau-de-vie and marc in France, orujo in Spain. I don't know any of them nearly as well as I do Grappa, but at least based on my superficial research they seem to follow the same trend: most of the time they smell and taste like lighter fluid, but a rare good one is worth the trouble.
I'd definitely like to try chacha one day.
Most grappa is benzina but there are a dozen doing the lord's work.
Most grappa is benzina but there are a dozen doing the lord's work.
Most grappa is benzina but there are a dozen doing the lord's work.
Most grappa is benzina but there are a dozen doing the lord's work.
Love this. I feel like I just got a masterclass in grappa and now I’m itching to try it again with fresh eyes (and maybe a tulip glass).
Travel keeps teaching me the same thing—sometimes the misunderstood, overlooked bits turn out to be the soul of a place. Hemingway knew it, and you’ve reminded me.
Thanks for the lesson!
What a nice compliment! Thank you!
Yes, I agree 100% about some of the lessons of travel being the overlooked and misunderstood things. Here's to your next grappa!
Grappa! I’ve never heard of such a thing until I got a job tending bar in a high-end Italian restaurant near Chicago. The manager had me taste them so I would understand what I was serving. I do believe it was a Nonino. It was a mistake on their part because I think I nipped little half glasses until the bottle was gone!
I seldom have it when I’m in the states anymore, usually exorbitantly priced, but whenever I’m in Italy I’ll have an occasional glass or even sometimes a café Coretto. I often don’t know what I’m ordering, just the house grappa wherever I’m at. Usually quite good.
I’ve spent time in Spain the last few years, and my favorite after dinner drink there is their version of grape brandy, Orujo blanca( they also make a sweetened yellow version, which is terrible)
Some of my best travel experiences were made from the “buddies“ I made by ordering grappa or orujo in small town cafés. Everybody so pleased that a foreigner enjoys their local drink. So glad there are others out there who appreciate this wonderful drink.
Not only is it expensive in the states, it's also usually not the high-end stuff. If you live near an Eataly you can find it there.
Café Coretto! That's another thing I considered for this column but left out because of space. Grappa is so strong and rustic it doesn't work well as a mixer. It just dominates whatever it's mixed with (sometimes aged grappa can be a substitute for Brandy or Bourbon in some drinks). But grappa and coffee is a good match because they're both strong. I love a nice Café Coretto when it's cold and raining.
Thanks for the comment!
Great topic. We used to drink it a while back but it was not easy to discern the good from the not good. I will try again when I am in Italy in November. And I loved the Hemingway reference. In A Moveable Feast, he writes with relish about sampling the aqua vitae at Gertrude Stein's place. I will be in Paris too, so I'll pass by her place.
I think you were around when I was just starting to think grappa could be more than a kind of punishment.
Aqua vitae is a brand category that includes grappa. In fact, some bottles of Nardini are called aqua vitae because they use grapes as well as pomace. The blend isn't make it any easier going down, though.
I don't remember that about A Moveable Feast. Maybe I should re-read it at some point.
In this case, EH was sipping eau di vie made from fruit other than grapes, so they are not quite the same. I like it all.
I'm not sure Hemingway's a good advertisement for grappa! But you still make it sound interesting. I'm gonna try it again. Thanks.
Nice one, Eric! Such a lovely way to finish a meal. Great read! I think the best I have tried came from Sicily and was made in the foothills of Etna. There is something very particular about Etna wines, which is seriously expressed in the Grappa. Maybe that is the 'soul' of the place?
How interesting!
Honestly, I don't recall if I've ever had a grappa from Etna, but I admit there's something mysterious about things grown there. Etna Bianco and Etna Rosso are among my go-to wines, reliably good at almost any price point. I've had good sparking wines from there. I had a nice Etna Rosato this summer. Even tomatoes grown on Etna are delicious.
I have no doubt that a grappa from Etna would be tasty. I'm going to keep my eyes open for one. Is there a specific producer you'd suggest?
Alas, it is long gone…. I had a bottle that I was nursing very, very slowly, but it has been a year since I finished it. I did not keep the bottle, or label. Sorry. But, as you say, the wines there are great, so you can probably find a good one fairly easily.
I usually have around five grappa options to choose from and due in part to my search for inspiration for this post I’m now down to three. So I’ll keep my eyes open for an Etna grappa to take one of the vacant slots.
Good plan! You are like me and Scotch Whisky. I have a handful on the go at any given time.
As time passes, we understand poetry better, while grappa represents a kind of natural bond. For this reason, the flavor of grappa is easier to grasp, while wine has a complex flavor, and experience helps us understand it. This is my interpretation, what do you think, Eric? I don't drink grappa, and none of my friends do, I mean, people between 45 and 60. I associate grappa with something a bit old-fashioned and obsolete. I have a bottle of grappa at home that I rarely use in the dough for certain dessert recipes. But if I had to tell you a drink I love after a meal, I'd say a sweet wine like Albana or a passito.
Ciao Monica: I like the idea of grappa as a natural bond. That seems right.
I'm in the same age group you discussed and I drink grappa regularly (in small quantities, of course). I find a lot of passito wines and most dessert wines too syrupy and sweet, though if they have an acidic bite to them (have you had Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo? Or one of the less sweet Tokaji wines from Hungary?) then count me in.
If you're curious to try a grappa you might like, look for one made from Moscato and just slightly barrel aged -- with the slightest straw-gold color. I mentioned it in another comment. It's hard to find, but it might be one you'd enjoy.
Grappa is probably for curious foodies. I see that among Italians of my generation and younger people, knowledge of grappa and the habit of drinking it (not getting drunk on grappa) is not widespread except in some regions of Italy. Thank you for the advice. (P.S.: I agree with you; from food to liqueurs, everything is good if it is of high quality; otherwise, it is better to avoid it).
As the saying goes, “Life’s too short to …” in this case, drink the bad stuff.
For me, barrel-aged makes all the difference. I recently had a Prosecco-based one that was excellent; unfortunately I forgot to photograph the bottle. As for grappa being the soul of Italy, perhaps it’s because it’s the drink of the hardworking peasant, arguably him/herself being the soul of Italy. 🤷🏼♀️
It's almost wrong to categorize barrel aged and clear grappa as the same drink. It can make a big difference.
I think yours is the "cleanest" interpretation of Soldati's line. But I love that it's open to so many different interpretations.
Good point about aged vs clear. As for my suggested interpretation, it’s probably also the most obvious (the stating of which I’ve gotten too good at).
I must admit I have never been a huge fan, most often opting for a dark herbal amaro in instances where either are offered and available. But I will certainly try your suggestions, in honor of Hemingway.
Ernest would be proud! Start with one of the barrel-aged ones ... report back here to tell us your thoughts.