Grappa

Buy Grappa Online

Corks Out are proud to offer a selection of the best Grappa available. Feel free to browse online and choose your Grappa from our our selection. If you do have any questions on any of our Italian Grappa, please do not hesitate to contact our customer services team.

Grappa UK: A missed Opportunity?

We think Grappa is seriously underrated in the UK. Many people’s experience of it amount to some inexpensive firewater at their local Italian restaurant, leading them to banish grappa from their thoughts! This is a huge mistake! Good quality grappa rivals many a Cognac or whisky as an after dinner tipple.

Grappa is made by distilling the skins, pulp, seed and stems (known as the pomace) that are left over from winemaking once the grapes have been pressed. Grappa is now a protected name in the EU and must meet the following criteria to use the name:

• Produced in Italy or in the Italian part of Switzerland or San Marino
• Produced from pomace
• Fermentation & distillation must occur on the pomace, with no added water

Where grappa differentiates from say, Brandy is the second criteria above. Brandy is produced using pure grape juice, whereas grappa is made from pomace. The third criteria has two important implications – firstly, distillation must occur on solids so it is carried out using steam distillation rather than a direct flame as the pomace could burn. Secondly, the stems and seeds of the grapes are co-fermented with the sugar rich juice which produces methanol. As methanol is toxic, this needs to be carefully removed during distillation. There is now an Italian law in place that requires winemakers to sell their pomace to grappa producers – this was introduced to outlaw illegal producers (who wouldn’t always successfully remove the methanol).

History of Italian Grappa

The exact origin of grappa isn’t precisely known, but it is thought to date back to around 1600AD, when distillation started to become more commonplace. As with many spirits and liqueurs, it was first created for medicinal purposes to aid digestion after a heavy meal. This tradition has remained in modern Italy, with grappa being the digestif of choice at many a dinner table.

The flavour of grappa is dependent on the type and quality of the grapes used, as well as the specifics of the distillation process (the better producers are far more meticulous). As a result a grappa made from moscato grapes will be fresh, lively and crisp with slight honeyed and rich notes, whereas as one produced from pinot will be softer with earthy undertones and a velvety texture.

We hope that you will agree that Grapa is a worth a try. We have an excellent selection for you to choose from. Grappa cocktails are excellent, and we think that a grappa drink is a perfect finish to a meal.