Grappa

This is, in fact, how grappa began, as a cheap, high-alcohol drink for peasants in the wine-making regions of Europe. The wealthy landowners got the juice for their wine, which they sold at prices too dear for the farmers. So the farmers, needing some sort of relief after a hard day in the fields, made do with what Elisabetta Nonino, representing the fifth generation of the five-generation Nonino Distillery, describes as the ``leftovers'' _ the pomace (or vinacce): pressed fruit, skins and stems _ which they distilled into grappa.

Most experts agree that the first grappa was probably distilled between the 12th and 15th centuries. Italy claims grappa as its own, though France has its ``marc'', which differs slightly from its Italian counterpart in that it is aged in wooden barrels. But just as the French insist that ``champagne'' cannot be used to describe just any sparkling wine, Italians like Nonino will tell you, ``Only grappa made in Italy is real grappa.''

It is a matter of pride for Italian distillers, and perhaps no one more so than the Nonino family. They have every right to be proud. Established during the Austro-Hungarian Empire by patriarch Orazio Nonino in Fruili's Ronchi di Pavia, the Nonino Distillery is recognised for its premium products as well as for its role in the history of grappa.

Unlike many of their contemporaries, for example, the Noninos resisted the trend to operate ``continuous'' distilleries, which allowed greater yields at the expense of quality. In 1967, under Orazio's great-grandson Benito, Nonino introduced a line of grappa which was made from the pomace of individual growers. Instead of mixing it all together to make one giant batch, pomace from each grower was kept separate, and information such as the source of the pomace, the year, and the number of bottles produced that year was included on the label.

The next logical step came to fruition in 1974 with the first single-varietal grappa, made from the local picolit grape. In addition to the contents, the packaging was also revolutionary. Instead of the standard indistinguishable one- or two-litre bottle, Picolit Cru was sold in a hand-blown 250-ml cruet, thus giving rise to the somewhat dubious tradition of _ pun intended _ overblown grappa bottles.

``Now a lot of ordinary grappa is put in very special bottles,'' Nonino admits. ``But back then we didn't want something beautiful to hide an inferior product. We just wanted to make a statement, so that people would understand that there is something very special inside.

``And our attitude today is the same. For us it must be a very good product, not just good-looking packaging. We do not want `trendy'. In fact, the Picolit bottle is the same one as in 1973. We want to sell what we make because you want to drink it, not because it is a beautiful bottle.''

The next development out of Nonino Distillery came nearly a decade later with the creation of Ue, which means ``grape'' in the northern Italian dialect. Technically an aqua vita, which can be made from any fruit or vegetable, Ue is different from grappa in that it is made with the whole grape and without the stems.

Ue is smoother and more fruity than grappa. ``It is not so powerful, so people that would not like grappa will like Ue. So many people try grappa once and they have bad grappa and decide they don't like it. But this could change their minds,'' she explains. ``The biggest problem is the cost. The quality of the grapes is so high that you could make good wine with it, and this makes it expensive. We are the same way with the pomace that we buy. It must be the best.''

The Nonino Distillery only has 40 hectares of its own for grape cultivation, which means that it must buy grapes and pomace from other growers. The company pays top price, but it also sets the terms. ``If you are a farmer, I will buy what you produce but I will decide when you will do the harvest. Otherwise the growers will harvest when they are afraid of rain or bad weather and then try to sell it to you. Or they try to sell you pomace that is very dry, because they produce their own wine and then sell us what is left. We won't accept it,'' Nonino says.

Because they are such sticklers for quality, the Nonino Distillery is unable to keep up with demand. Rather than take advantage of their popularity by selling to the highest bidder, however, the company keeps prices at a sustainable level with the goal being to reach as many people in as many markets as possible.

``We want to be all over the world,'' explains Nonino. ``We grew up in the '70s, in the time of Armani and Ferrari, and we consider our family as part of the `Made in Italy' group. We want to help represent all the best that Italy can offer.''

Andrew Hiransomboon for Bangkok Post