Grappa - unaged
CoreVeneto, Trentino-Alto Adige, Piedmont, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lombardy
Tasting Notes
Fresh grape skin, white flowers, pear, apple, almond, white pepper, anise, herbs. Aromatic grape varieties (Moscato, Gewurztraminer, Müller-Thurgau) produce floral, perfumed, almost wine-like grappa. Non-aromatic varieties (Nebbiolo, Sangiovese) produce earthier, more tannic, more structured grappa. Industrial grappa smells of nail polish remover and burns. Artisanal grappa smells like walking through a vineyard after harvest. The quality gap is everything.
Brand Guide
Stock 84 ($15-20 — common but rough)
Nonino Tradizione, Nardini Bianca ($30-42)
Marolo Barolo, Poli Museo ($45-65)
Nonino Monovitigno (Picolit, Fragolino), Jacopo Poli single-varietal ($60-100+). Nonino changed grappa forever by introducing single-grape-variety distillation in the 1970s — know them as the brand that made grappa respectable