NARDINI
Two alcoholic drinks have been central to the tradition of Italian life since time immemorial; wine and grappa. They are, of course, related; you can’t make grappa without grape pomace. Grappa started as a by-product of winemaking, a rough drink made with what was available, potent enough to get the farmers through the cold winter months. At least they were Italian farmers. Lest we scoff at grappa’s humble origins, spare a thought for cognac. France’s most venerated spirit was invented by English and Dutch wine shippers who discovered that distilling their cargo meant less spoiled wine and improved financial return.
In the early days, grappa – as with most spirits – was considered rather coarse and found popularity among people of low social status, many seeking even the briefest of respites from a tough reality. The nobility did not drink it. However, this changed when Italian culture took centre stage in the mid-twentieth century; and it became a potent symbol of a stylish, escapist, romantic vision in a post-war world of optimism. Grappa became part of ‘La Dolce Vita’.
Along the way, grappa was swept up into ever more rarefied and precious circles, presented with ever more pomp and in ever more pretentious stemware. Several of today’s best-known grappas were first distilled in the 1980s. By way of contrast, the Nardini family has been making Italy's finest grappa since 1779. Bortolo Nardini established the family business three years after the American War of Independence and fifteen years before the French Revolution.
Nardini grappa still features the original Remondini label design (which is over 200 years old) and comes in a traditional bordelaise bottle.