12. Wine sludge transformed into elite drink

So thru these refinements, these narrowing of parameters, this wine sludge is transformed into a potent flavorless liquid with a great bouquet. This refined residue of the wine making process is the modern Grappa aimed at the elite.

Grappa has all aromatics- no flavor

Grappa is made from the skins, seeds and stems of grape ‘pomace’, the dregs of wine making process. In the wine making process all the flavor and most of the alcohol is extracted. All the flavor of the grape goes into wine. Only the remaining aromas of the skin of the grape and the residual alcohol of the wine go into the Grappa. The sludge that goes to make grappa has only alcohol and bouquet. While there are over 400 aromatic elements in the skin and seeds of grapes, there is no flavor. (In contrast Cognac or Grape Brandy is distilled directly from wine and so retains flavor. The original grappa was a poor man’s Cognac.)

‘When Wineries cry - Grappa makers laugh’

To indicate how unimportant flavor is to the grappa, the grappa makers have an expression:

“When wineries cry - Grappa makers laugh.

When wineries laugh - Grappa makers cry.”

Because wineries use more of fermented grape juice when the flavor is good, while they use less when the flavor is not so good. This means that the Grappa makers have more pomace for their product. This is another indication that flavor is not an important component of grappa.

Special glassware

So after the wine making process only the alcohol and bouquet is left – no59'7)1)+++9+',91+w59/$%9193979/%99193939/9-9(9*9/95939-9,9-9391959997939/919-91919/9/91919-9/91919793%3919193959593939595919391939595939/w795993-97$$9395959797$%95959197959555979-959-97$999979-9+7119-),5-,/7779-9,9,91919%97$399979399939*13-*)-('+--55(,%99,%y39'95$%939377955,999597,%995*999-979-99$$979199$$977%99$%97979599$%97975599$$979799$&9393979799$1939-9/999755--/&-31$9(93t-%993%95,%99/%999%95-%99939597937+95$)9393959593919-95$%93939591$%93939595$$939791979573939-959-93$%9593959/$%93959-w+95%193939195939395959393959/939593919193959997959799999795979599$&95979997939791$%9/9/9-939,91$$939595$&9391939-95$%91w/9-959595979795$-939191959797959191939795$&919/9397919593$'919/9/919793$/9193919193939/9/9193939591$%9/9/979,$*9-91919,u/9,9-919/9-/&+*+-,$-(377/7$759-93919,9-91959397$7999795939395979999959599999595,%995+99&*939-919/91939)9)3&-/+)+3-*/-w19)9*9,939595919793$&919/919793$&919/9-959,$791939/9/95979393959795919193979391$)9/9-9,9/9-9,979-$&9/93939/91$-9595939-u/9,9+9,91939391999/9*9+979/$%919-979,&'9/9/9-9,9,919595919-9-9/95919193919-9,9/919395919-9-9195919,9,919/9+9+91979-&7s -9,9,9-9/91919793$,9-9,9,9+9*9+9,9-9/9791$(9/9/9193939391$(93939-9-9/9793',9/9,9)9-9)717$5+1'+/*9)1)),91+335,739)7/s /9-9/9393919/93919/9-9,9'77799'9-9/919793$'959593939591$%939393959793$&9593939391$$9,959-%39,9+9*9-9/9-9+9+9,9-9,9-q193959793$7959593919/959795939595939593939795%%9391939193959391919597939191959795919593$$91979/%+939595939/9/9399s 1959795939395979799$(97959597979-99$/979799959/9395999997979399$%97979595$5939397979393959597979595979797959597$%95u19,779$9391999/9-7+7,7-7$999799959(9999919993999795979599$%97959199$'979799999597$'999997979$999797)-99999591999,9593r 9-91939/91939/9*9,91939-9*9+919/919393$(95919799979593$/9797939/9195979791939393959793$,9193939597979593959597$993s /9591$*9/9/91919/91939795&993939193939191959593939597919*9+91979,9+9+9/93919/919195919/9599959593919799959597939193s 39/9,9,9-9-9+9+9,9/9/919/9-9-9591&99-9,9,9)9(9-939,9,9/919,9,919)9,91919-9-9/919/9(9%9'9*9,9-9/9/9*9(9(9*9+9,9/9/9-s 59/$$91979-%79/91919/9-9795959391919/9/9391919/9/9-9-9,9,9/919,9+9,91939191959/$&9-9,9,959-%'919/9-9+9-91919/919/9-q59*9791959,979/95$99/9'9&9$5-1','++,5/5719/9193979-9+979195$'979197999797$-9959))+&)''3,)9$999*,%99,%99,%99,%99,%u3939+9)9-9-9+9,9-9-91939/9-919391979/%$9,919/9,9-93919-9193919/9-9/95959/9791''9-9,9+9,9-9-9/9/9,9,9-9-9,9*9,9,9+9+9-u5959193919-9-9/9