How grappa is made
How grappa is made
The process that leads to the creation of a grappa is very complex and in some stages delicate, however it can be summarized by saying that it consists in the distillation of a solid raw material, or the marc (skins of grapes after it has been pressed to obtain wine), which, precisely through distillation, will change state becoming liquid.
Types of marc used and their characteristics:
The pomace used for the production of grappa can come from the racking of red wines, from the vinification of rosé wine or sweet wines, and from the draining that takes place in the production of white wine. It goes without saying that the quality of this raw material is fundamental to the production of an excellent quality product: in this sense, there are numerous checks on the quality, freshness and state of preservation of the pomace, as any defect in these aspects could compromise the final quality of the product.
Also fundamental, also for the purposes of the production process, is the distinction between fermented marc (generally those deriving from the production of red wine) and unfermented, or virgin marc (those deriving from the draining of white grapes). In particular, the former are characterised by the presence in them of an alcoholic percentage deriving from their fermentation together with the must of the wine, while the latter are also defined as virgin precisely because they are alcohol-free, not having fermented with the must, except in some cases in which, then, we speak of semi-virgin marc (as in the case of marc deriving from the production of certain sweet or rosé wines that have undergone a brief maceration with the must). The importance of this difference for the grappa production process, therefore, lies in the fact that these virgin marcs must necessarily be fermented before they can move on to the next stage of distillation.
This is because the fermentation process is crucial for the transformation of the sugar contained in the marc into alcohol thanks to the action of certain unicellular microorganisms, i.e. yeasts. No type of distillate can do without the processing of a previously fermented compound, and therefore containing alcohol.
Distillation: how is it done?
Distillation is a fundamental stage in the grappa production process: during this phase, by boiling the physical component, the fermented marc, it is possible to concentrate the alcoholic part of it, which, once evaporated due to the increase in temperature, condenses and becomes liquid following its cooling.
Obviously, in order to ensure that this change of state with the transfer of all the correct organoleptic properties takes place correctly, it is necessary for the heating and boiling phase to take place at different temperatures to allow all the valuable substances to sublimate.
For this step to be carried out correctly, it is necessary to have three fundamental elements:
the raw material to be distilled (the pomace);
the master distiller with his knowledge of the raw material and the process;
the still.
With reference to this last element, it is necessary to point out that there are two main categories:
stills which operate on a discontinuous cycle, which tend to be used in the production of artisanal Grappa. Basically, they can be stills with cauldrons fed by flowing steam, bain-marie stills or stills with direct fire;
stills operating in a continuous column cycle, used in the production of Grappa.
The process that leads to the creation of a grappa is very complex and in some stages delicate, however it can be summarized by saying that it consists in the distillation of a solid raw material, or the marc (skins of grapes after it has been pressed to obtain wine), which, precisely through distillation, will change state becoming liquid.
Types of marc used and their characteristics:
The pomace used for the production of grappa can come from the racking of red wines, from the vinification of rosé wine or sweet wines, and from the draining that takes place in the production of white wine. It goes without saying that the quality of this raw material is fundamental to the production of an excellent quality product: in this sense, there are numerous checks on the quality, freshness and state of preservation of the pomace, as any defect in these aspects could compromise the final quality of the product.
Also fundamental, also for the purposes of the production process, is the distinction between fermented marc (generally those deriving from the production of red wine) and unfermented, or virgin marc (those deriving from the draining of white grapes). In particular, the former are characterised by the presence in them of an alcoholic percentage deriving from their fermentation together with the must of the wine, while the latter are also defined as virgin precisely because they are alcohol-free, not having fermented with the must, except in some cases in which, then, we speak of semi-virgin marc (as in the case of marc deriving from the production of certain sweet or rosé wines that have undergone a brief maceration with the must). The importance of this difference for the grappa production process, therefore, lies in the fact that these virgin marcs must necessarily be fermented before they can move on to the next stage of distillation.
This is because the fermentation process is crucial for the transformation of the sugar contained in the marc into alcohol thanks to the action of certain unicellular microorganisms, i.e. yeasts. No type of distillate can do without the processing of a previously fermented compound, and therefore containing alcohol.
Distillation: how is it done?
Distillation is a fundamental stage in the grappa production process: during this phase, by boiling the physical component, the fermented marc, it is possible to concentrate the alcoholic part of it, which, once evaporated due to the increase in temperature, condenses and becomes liquid following its cooling.
Obviously, in order to ensure that this change of state with the transfer of all the correct organoleptic properties takes place correctly, it is necessary for the heating and boiling phase to take place at different temperatures to allow all the valuable substances to sublimate.
For this step to be carried out correctly, it is necessary to have three fundamental elements:
the raw material to be distilled (the pomace);
the master distiller with his knowledge of the raw material and the process;
the still.
With reference to this last element, it is necessary to point out that there are two main categories:
stills which operate on a discontinuous cycle, which tend to be used in the production of artisanal Grappa. Basically, they can be stills with cauldrons fed by flowing steam, bain-marie stills or stills with direct fire;
stills operating in a continuous column cycle, used in the production of Grappa.