The history of the Nonino Distillery – Finest Wine

The history of the Nonino Distillery

The art of Distillation has been the privilege of the
of the Nonino family since 1897

Quality, innovation, research, professionalism and love for their work are the hallmarks of distinction. Orazio Nonino, the founder, was followed by Luigi, Antonio, Benito with Giannola, Cristina, Antonella, Elisabetta and Francesca Nonino.
1897 is the year in which Orazio Nonino establishes the headquarters of his distillery at Ronchi di Percoto, which until then had existed only in the form of a travelling still, mounted on wheels.

1928
Antonio, son of Vigi, father of Benito, marries Silvia Milocco, who will be the first grappa maker in Italy. The distillery moves from Ronchi to Percoto.

27TH NOVEMBER 1933
Antonio Nonino, in accordance with the law of 27.11.1933, Royal Decree N.1604 art.1, which obliges the bottling and packaging of grappa in bottles with a regular label and state seal, creates the label reproducing the "fogolar furlan", a large fireplace, always lit, the centre of the old Friulian house around which the family would gather to work, chat and drink a good "bussul" of Grappa.

1933
Antonio Nonino, the third generation of the family of distillers, thanks to an ancient knowledge preserved for generations, starts the production of Nonino liqueurs. He created Amaro Carnia, an infusion of herbs from the Friulian mountains, using the grappa he distilled as the alcoholic base.

1940
1940 Silvia Nonino - Antonio's wife and excellent cook - after becoming a widow becomes the first woman to head a distillery. Her great knowledge of botanicals leads her to create the "Aperitivo Bianco Nonino", a drink for the pleasure of the palate and the soul. This is the first time that a female touch is experimented in the distillery in the art of liquor-making and distillation. Silvia will be the first of a long series of Nonino women distillers.
1940-1950
Silvia Nonino - wife of Antonio and excellent cook - after becoming a widow, becomes the first woman at the head of a distillery and decides to enrich the recipe of Amaro Carnia, with very selected botanicals, to give the bitter more personality. Amaro del Friuli was born.

20 MAY 1962
Benito marries Giannola Bulfoni: the research and the passionate struggle to take Grappa from cinderella to noble spirit begins. Cristina, Antonella and Elisabetta are born from their marriage.

1967
The Noninos present "Acquavite Optima", obtained from the distillation of the pomace of the wineries chosen because they are the most prestigious: on the label the indication of the year, the quintals distilled, the litres obtained and the number of the bottle. This was the first of a series of experiments that would lead to the creation of "Monovitigno" (single-varietal) wines.

1ST DECEMBER 1973
The new era of Grappa begins in Percoto. Benito and Giannola, respecting tradition, revolutionise the system of producing and presenting Grappa in Italy and the world. They create the Grappa of a single grape variety, the Monovitigno® Nonino, distilling the pomace of the Picolit grape separately.

DECEMBER 1ST, 1974
Second distillation of Grappa Monovitigno® Picolit, first distillation of Grappa Monovitigno® Ribolla.

29 NOVEMBER 1975
While researching the ancient autochthonous Friulian vines, in order to distil their marc, the Noninos discovered that the most representative ones, Schioppettino, Pignolo and Tazzelenghe, were in danger of extinction, since their cultivation was forbidden. Ribolla gialla was added to them. With the aim of stimulating, rewarding and having the ancient autochthonous Friulian vines officially recognised by the national and community bodies, and thus preserving the biodiversity of the territory, they set up the Nonino Risit d'Aur Prize (Barbatella d'Oro) to be awarded annually to the vine-dresser who has planted the best planting of one or more of these vines and a study grant, to be awarded annually to the best study of both technical and historical character, concerning the above mentioned vines.

The Jury is made up of Luigi Veronelli, Orfeo Salvador (President of the Regional Centre for Viticulture and Oenology of Friuli Venezia Giulia), Antonio Calò (Director of the Experimental Institute for Viticulture of Conegliano), Ruggero Forti (National and Regional President of Nurserymen), Amelio Tubaro (Director of Agricultural Production, Department of Agriculture) and Ennio Nussi (Director of the Regional Centre for Viticulture and Oenology of Friuli Venezia Giulia).

APRIL 21, 1976
Giannola Nonino starts the bureaucratic process for the request for recognition of these vines by sending: official letter to the Regional Center for Viticulture of Friuli Venezia Giulia to the President Orfeo Salvador and stimulating with sensitivity, passion and insistence the Experimental Institute for Viticulture of Conegliano whose director had in fact joined the Jury of the Prize.

14 JUNE 1977
With the Ministerial Decree of 14.06.1977, the autochthonous Friulian vines that had previously been forbidden were authorised and in 1983 the Nonino Risit d'Aur Prize obtained the EEC regulation n. 382 with which the vines authorised in 1977 became even recommended, today the jewel in the crown of Friulian viticulture.

1983
The Nonino Distillery goes from 12 to 24 stills. It distills 1200 quintals of pomace per day with discontinuous stills, working 24 hours a day, holidays included. The distillation for the fermented red pomace is immediate, 48 hours instead for the white (sweet) pomace and in the old forge, where Giannola's father forged ploughs at the beginning of the 20th century, the distillery dedicated to his daughters Cristina, Antonella and Elisabetta Nonino is born with 6 special and exclusive stills created by Benito for the distillation of Grappa di Monovitigno® and for fruit distillates.

27TH NOVEMBER 1984
The Noninos mark a new turning point: they distil whole grapes and create the Grape Distillate ÙE® Picolit. Ministerial authorization for the production of Grape Distillate (D.M. October 20, 1984 g.u. n. 318 of November 19, 1984) is granted at the specific request of the Noninos.

1ST DECEMBER 1984
To emphasize the preciousness of this new brandy, the Noninos ask Venini, Master Glassmaker in Murano, to blow by hand a bottle with a murrina depicting a bunch of grapes in it. This is how the precious Nonino ÙE® Acquavite d'Uva Cru Monovitigno® Picolit Collection begins, which from year to year will be kept in vintage bottles made by hand flying by Venini, Baccarat and Riedel.

31ST JANUARY 1987
The Nonino Distillery celebrates 90 years of "fixed abode" with a monograph on the Noninos, written by Emilio Rigatti and illustrated by Altan. In the cellars of Cristina, Antonella and Elisabetta, the ageing process begins, unique in terms of innovation and research, of the ÙE® Grape Distillate with its unparalleled quality and characteristics.

7 MARCH 1987
A date that will not be forgotten: the Honourable Filippo Maria Pandolfi, Minister of Agriculture, officially inaugurates the Distilleria di Cristina, Antonella and Elisabetta.

15TH NOVEMBER 1989
The Noninos plant 40 hectares of experimental vineyards in Buttrio - Friuli with Picolit, Ribolla Gialla, Fragolino, Schioppettino and Sauvignon grapes.
These grapes will be used to produce Grappa and Acquavite d'Uva ÙE® of unparalleled quality and characteristics.

1992
In the continuous search for absolute quality, Cristina, Antonella and Elisabetta replace grappa in the recipe for the family bitter with ÙE® Grape Distillate aged in barriques and small barrels, the grape distillate created by their parents Giannola and Benito in 1984. From an ancient family recipe comes a modern classic: Amaro Nonino Quintessentia®.

4TH DECEMBER 1996
The celebrations for the hundred years of the Family begin with Oh les beaux jours by Samuel Beckett, directed by Peter Brook and with Natasha Parry. A magical moment underlined by the presence of Peter Brook and many friends.

1897-1997
One hundred years of Distillation

25 JANUARY 1997
Altan dedicates to Nonino "Ben the fourth son of Noah", the Graphic Novel that tells in cartoons the saga of the Family. On the occasion of the XXII edition of the Nonino Prize the Vigneti Nonino Grappe Monovitigno® "il Merlot", "il Tocai", "lo Chardonnay" and the Monovitigno® ÙE® "il Sauvignon", "la Malvasia", "il Refosco" are presented, created to celebrate the Hundred Years of Distillation.

NOVEMBER 1997
Again to celebrate the Hundred Years of Distillation, ÙE® Cru Monovitigno® Picolit Vendemmia 1986 is taken from the Nonino Aging Cellars and stored in Nevers barriques; 400 hand-blown vintage decanters made of Riedel crystal, designed by Luca Cendali.

2 JUNE 1998
Giannola Bulfoni Nonino is nominated Cavaliere del Lavoro by the President of the Republic: the most important honour for work. Giannola is among the 25 women so far awarded, out of 500 honours in the history of the Republic, with the following motivation: "for having dedicated herself from a very young age to the distillation and enhancement of Grappa, bringing the most demanding and sophisticated consumer closer to the product, for having introduced novelties in the production by creating the Acquavite d'Uva, for having started with her husband, Benito Nonino, the construction of a new distillery, technologically advanced but respecting the tradition and the environment, for having created in 1976 the Nonino Prize with the precise aim of defending the values of the peasant civilization. "

29TH JANUARY 2000
Concert of the Mahler Chamber Orchestra conducted by Claudio Abbado for the Twenty-Five Years of the Nonino Prize.

APRIL 3, 2000
After years of research, from honey, which in ancient times was considered a miracle of nature, Cristina, Antonella and Elisabetta, present GIOIELLO®, the distillate of 'Purity', the brandy obtained from the distillation of only honey in all its varieties of flavours, from acacia honey to chestnut, from sunflower honey to wildflower honey, each with its own delicate, inebriating and persuasive spirit, just synonymous with the distillate of 'Purity'.

22 JUNE 2000
At Christie's in London, at the most important auction of Italian wines and spirits ever held up to that time, several pieces of the Nonino Collection are sold, fetching from GBP 1540 (€ 2531.00) / vintage 1990 to GBP 1595 (€ 2677.00) / vintage 1989.

29 OCTOBER 2000
At the Salone del Gusto in Turin, Alain Senderens, chef at "Lucas Carton" in Paris, and Alfonso Iaccarino, chef at "Don Alfonso 1890" in Sant'Agata sui due Golfi, baptized ÙE® La Riserva dei Cent'anni, putting it alongside the great cognacs, Armagnacs and rums in terms of quality, pleasure and sensations and judging it perfect for pairing with Cuban cigars and excellent with honey and cheeses with great personality.

6 DECEMBER 2000
The University of Udine and Claudio Dematté present the volume "Il caso Nonino, lo spirito d'impresa" by Cristiana Compagno published by Utet-Isedi.

14 DECEMBER 2000
Jewellery. The Nonino Collection is presented in Rome in the world temple of jewels: Bulgari, Via dei Condotti.

4 APRIL 2001
At the Finarte of Milan is sold ÙE® Cru Monovitigno® Picolit/Vendemmia 1984/La Murrina, auction realisation € 2,169.00.

28 JULY 2001
Yokohama, within the exhibition "Italy in Japan 2001", curated by Andrea Branzi for the Triennale di Milano, Grappa Nonino Cru Monovitigno® Picolit and the Nonino Collection are exhibited in the section "design as a lifestyle - design of the senses".

9 JUNE 2002
The A.I.S., Italian Association of Sommeliers, awards the Nonino Family the prestigious Prize "Oscar del Vino 2002" - Special Jury Prize with the following motivation: "...for the extraordinary work that a family has carried out...in favour of an all-Italian product. Very high image, high quality, careful research and experimentation. Recognition from all directions, from the Presidency of the Republic to the most prestigious national and international consensus".

Watch the video of the Award Ceremony!

1973-2003
Thirty years ago Benito and Giannola Nonino revolutionized the system of producing and presenting Grappa in Italy and in the world. Thus was born the Grappa of a single vine, the Monovitigno® Nonino, distilling separately the pomace of the Picolit grape. The success was such that most Italian and foreign distillers followed the Nonino model.

JUNE 22, 2003
Bordeaux. GIOIELLO® Nonino honey distillate of Citrus fruits, is the only product chosen by the Vinexpo Bordeaux 2003 commission to represent Italy in the publication "the world in advance".

OCTOBER 9, 2003
The Triennale of Milan, on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of Monovitigno® Nonino, dedicates to the Noninos "Storia di una Passione" (History of a Passion) an anthological exhibition on the Family.

4TH DECEMBER 2003
The President of the Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi gives Giannola and Benito Nonino the prestigious "Leonardo Prize Quality Italy" for the "Absolute quality, research and innovation that characterize a brand that brings in the world first of all the value of the family and the commitment to work. The Noninos are recognized as the true Ambassadors of Italian Grappa in the world".

6 DECEMBER 2003
The New York Times dedicates to the Nonino family the "Saturday Profile" on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the creation of Grappa Nonino Monovitigno®.

DECEMBER 6TH 2003
The International Herald Tribune dedicates to the Nonino family the article "A dynamo and her daughters turn leftovers to gold" reporting it on the front page.

6TH SEPTEMBER 2004
"Return to the origins" in the distillery of the great-great-grandfather. The Noninos re-establish their artisanal discontinuous steam stills, twelve for each member of the family plus one for each grandchild as a sign of continuity in the art of distillation, in Ronchi di Percoto for the production of Nonino Spirits in respect of tradition and the rhythms of craftsmanship.

1 DECEMBER 2006
The University of Udine awards Giannola Bulfoni Nonino the Honorary Degree in Business Economics with the following motivation: "Entrepreneur of culture. She enhances, ennobles, makes Grappa known and appreciated all over the world, also through an extraordinary marketing lever: the Nonino Prize. An operation of cultural patronage of very high profile and great international relevance of which she was the creator and for thirty years tireless animator".

3RD FEBRUARY 2008
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung dedicates a page to Grappa Nonino in its prestigious Sunday economic insert.

AUGUST 2008
At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition "the largest competition in America with 800 spirits from 63 countries", Grappa Nonino Cru Monovitigno® Picolit is awarded the Double Gold medal, for the excellence in the design of the packaging, for the artistic merit and the communicative qualities aimed at enhancing the brand.

20 MAY 2009
During the Navarra Gourmet in Pamplona, Spain, Giannola Nonino receives the International Prize Eva 2009, Empresaria del Año, reserved to the women of the international enogastronomic world with the following motivation: "Giannola Nonino is one of the most important entrepreneurs of the Italian enogastronomic panorama. Her company, known all over the world, has been the protagonist of the renaissance of Italian Grappa, the oldest distillate in northern Italy. The Nonino tradition began in 1897 with Orazio and has continued to the present day with Giannola and Benito. Since 1928 the distillery is in Percoto, in the province of Udine, where there are, under the same roof, 5 artisan distilleries, for a total of 12 discontinuous steam stills for each member of the family plus 6 for the grandchildren, as a sign of continuity of the distillery art. Giannola Nonino and her family are also famous for the Nonino Prize, instituted in 1975 for the enhancement of the rural civilization, internationally recognized".

3RD MARCH 2010
New York, at the first Ultimate Spirits Challenge, in which more than 520 distillates from 42 countries participated, Grappa Nonino il Merlot wins the Chairman's Trophy, the highest world recognition in the category Brandy, Grappa and Spirits.

16TH NOVEMBER 2010
High Craftsmanship of the "Spirit
The Nonino ÙE® Grape Distillate Cru Monovitigno® Picolit Collection enters the Permanent Collection of Italian Design of the Triennale Design Museum. The Collection represents one of the greatest examples of high craftsmanship that combines the art of Distillation of the Nonino family and the ancient workmanship of the glassmaking tradition of Venini in Murano and the greatest European traditions of Baccarat and Riedel crystal. A unique example in the world of the excellence of Made in Italy!

DECEMBER 2010
Fendi presents "The Whispered Directory of Craftmanship" a guide to Made in Italy, strictly handmade. Borsalino, Buccellati, Fendi, Maserati, Nonino Distillatori, Riva, Rubelli, Slow Food, Venini... brands with different origins, but united by a great passion for craftsmanship, for attention to detail, for a mix of tradition and innovation that converge in a unique product. The first guide to the excellence of Made in Italy, published by Mondadori Electa, where Fendi tells the story of handmade Italy: each item is associated with the names and places of the artisans and their stories.

www.thewhispered.it

JUNE 2011
F. Paul Pacult, defined by Forbes magazine "the most authoritative expert of distillates in the United States", elects Grappa Nonino Monovitigno® Picolit among the five super distillates of the world in the "HALL OF FAME" of the prestigious quarterly SPIRIT JOURNAL. Grappa Nonino is the only Grappa chosen to be part of the most prestigious pantheon of distillates in the world, rising above the ratings and reviews as a benchmark of excellence in its category for years to come.

JUNE - NOVEMBER 2011
Grappa Nonino is the protagonist of the artwork "Osloo" by Fos, a Danish artist, at the 54th International Art Exhibition La Biennale di Venezia. Osloo is a floating platform conceived by the artist as a public space where events take place (concerts, readings, conferences) focused on the theme of freedom of expression, the theme of the Danish Pavilion. The Grappa Nonino in special edition Osloo wanted by Fos, with labels created and numbered by him, is part of this work because for Fos, Grappa is the perfect metaphor of his artistic approach.

SEPTEMBER - OCTOBER 2011
The Nonino Collection ÙE® Cru Monovitigno® Picolit is chosen to represent the excellence of Distillation in the exhibition curated by Italo Rota, at La Triennale di Milano: OLC25° Options of Luxury. Next to the Nonino Collection the most prestigious brands of international luxury: Prada, Gucci, Salvatore Ferragamo, Giorgio Armani, Ferrari, Montblanc, Chanel, Tiffany, Roger Vivier and many others.

JUNE 2012
F. Paul Pacult, defined by Forbes magazine as "the most authoritative expert of distillates in the United States", reconfirms Grappa Nonino Monovitigno® Picolit among the top distillates in the world in the "HALL OF FAME" of the prestigious quarterly Spirit Journal.

JULY 16TH 2012
RAI 5, the Italian Radio and Television, dedicates a documentary to the Nonino family and Grappa: Dinastie "Storie, racconti e vicende di chi ha fatto e fa grande l'Italia" (Stories, tales and vicissitudes of those who have made and are making Italy great) to tell a part of Italy that has breathed history and been part of it creating something innovative, a symbol also abroad of Made in Italy.

1973-2013
Forty years ago the Noninos created Grappa Monovitigno® and transformed it from Cinderella to the Queen of spirits! The success was such that Italian and foreign distillers followed the Nonino model.

MARCH 2013
Grappa Nonino Cru Monovitigno® Picolit obtains 99 out of 100 and is the best Grappa with the highest score that surpasses all the Grappas, also Aged and Riserva in the ranking of Falstaff, authoritative Austrian lifestyle and food & wine magazine for experts and connoisseurs!

1984-2014
Thirty Years of the Grape Distillate ÙE®, created by Benito and Giannola Nonino.

JUNE 2014
Grappa Nonino is taken as an example and icon of artisanal Grappa in "How It's Made", a famous documentary aired on the American Discovery Channel, the thematic channel that satisfies every curiosity.

Watch the "How It's Made" video.

FEBRUARY 2015
Harrods, icon of Luxury in the world, celebrates the theme Stealing Beauty by capturing beauty. The Legendary Grappa Nonino is elevated to an object of desire in the suggestive London showcase, dedicated to the world's finest spirits, where it embodies Italian excellence in an invitation to an experience of the senses that cannot be resisted.

SEPTEMBER 2015
Grappa Nonino Cru Monovitigno Picolit is once again confirmed among the Top Distillates in the world, in the "HALL OF FAME" of the prestigious quarterly SPIRIT JOURNAL.

JUNE 2016
Grappa Nonino is ready to take flight with Alitalia: spokesman in the world of the Italian excellence in the production of Grappas and Spirits and in the Culture of Distillation, Nonino is selected together with some of the biggest Italian brands, such as Diego Dalla Palma, Ferrari, Frau and Lavazza, to represent, in the skies around the world, the maximum expression of Made in Italy.

JANUARY
1897 - 2017: from Orazio to Benito, from Benito to Cristina, Antonella and Elisabetta.
The celebrations for 120 years of artisanal distillation begin.

History of a Passion handed down from father to daughter.

12TH JANUARY
The Nonino revolution "from Cinderella to Queen of the Market", carried out by Giannola - wife of Benito, an exceptional distiller - is chosen as a case-study by one of the most influential academic journals in the world: the London School of Economics (LSE) Business Review.

In "How to transform a product from Cinderella to queen of the market" it tells about the Nonino revolution "carried out by Giannola - wife of Benito, exceptional distiller" and how Nonino, thanks to passion, determination, commitment and authenticity, has raised the status of Grappa, making it a hedonistic must, at the same level of whisky and cognac.

Read the translated article.

18 MARCH
Düsseldorf, Germany: the 13th edition of the Meininger Award gives the coveted prize to the Noninos for having "repeatedly made fundamental innovations in the Grappa market and consolidated its position as a pioneer of quality". To receive it, Giannola with Antonella, Elisabetta and her granddaughter Francesca, Cristina's daughter. It is the first time that the prize is awarded to Grappa.
Read the Nonino Press Release

SEPTEMBER
Grappa Nonino supports P(OUR), a non-profit organization of the bartender community with a thirst for knowledge. The charitable project created by Alex Kratena, Simone Caporale, Monica Berg, Xavier Padovani, Jim Meehan, Joerg Meyer, Ryan Chetiyawardana aims to create a global community of bartenders, bartenders, sommeliers, brewers, distillers and wine producers that can stimulate and reinvent the world of beverage, through new ideas, knowledge, inspirations, experiences, values.

Find out more aboutP(OUR)

OCTOBER
To celebrate 120 years of Distillerie Nonino, the family presents Grappa Nonino Riserva Aged 22 Years Under Seal, 883 numbered bottles.
Distilled by Benito Nonino in discontinuous copper steam still in the Nonino Distilleries, 100% with artisanal method, aged 22 years under the seal and permanent surveillance of the Customs and Monopolies Agency in the Neves oak barrique n. 1062 and in the small ex-Sherry barrel n. 362 in the Nonino Aging Cellar N°1. 0% colorants. Rare and precious, with a light smoky hint, natural.

Discover more

MARCH
After years of study, research and attempts, Cristina Nonino distills for the first time Nonino Ginger Spirit, the distillate of pure Italian ginger.
Cristina baptizes her creation putting, for the first time in the history of the distillation family, her signature as Master Distiller on the bottle.

Watch the video of Cristina explaining her creation!

2018
Cristina, Antonella, Elisabetta and Francesca Nonino, rework in a contemporary key the ancient recipe of the Nonino White Aperitif of their grandmother/great-grandmother Silvia creating an infusion of botanicals, herbs, flowers, fruits, berries and roots ennobled by ÙE® Monovitigno® Fragolino from the Nonino Vineyard in Buttrio. The Nonino Aperitif Bo

28 OCTOBER
On the occasion of the Wine & Spirits festival, Falstaff honours the Nonino family with the Special Award for 'Bar Culture':
"The Nonino family constantly focuses its efforts on bar and restaurant culture at the highest level, having now created several milestones with its products."

5 NOVEMBER
Wine Star Award proclaims Grappa Nonino "Distillery of the year".
The award, created by Wine Enthusiast and now in its twentieth edition, rewards the Nonino family "for its vision to redesign a traditional distillate for the modern era".

Grappa Nonino is the first grappa brand to receive such a high honor in the United States.

27TH JANUARY
At the iconic Palace of fine arts in San Francisco, Noninos are awarded "Best Distillery in the World 2019" by Wine Enthusiast.

Nonino is the first Italian distillery and the first grappa brand to achieve this recognition.



JUNE 2021
The Aperitivo Nonino BotanicalDrink, the all natural and vegan friendly aperitif, is the first Italian aperitif to win the prestigious award "Aperitif of the Year 2021 International". Meininger's Spirits award, the most important German editorial group of wine & food, chose the Nonino brand among all the 120 aperitifs and vermouths in competition.