Copyright 2001 FT Asia Africa Intelligence Wire

  All rights reserved

  Copyright 2001 Bangkok Post

  BANGKOK POST

  October 13, 2001

LENGTH: 858 words

HEADLINE: Coming to grips with grappa

BODY:

  For many people, their first taste of grappa is also their last.
Even at its best the crystal-clear, high-alcohol brandy is an
acquired taste _ complex, even elegant, but still harsh enough to
knock your socks off. At its worst, however, grappa resembles
something better suited for removing paint, or powering an internal
combustion engine, than for human consumption.

  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.



  PAGE 2 BANGKOK POST October 13, 2001

  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.''

LOAD-DATE: October 13, 2001

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