Grape brandy

The grape brandy is a product obtained from the fresh grape-pomace grape squeezed during the pressing and their liquid and natural sedimentation. The grape-pomace and the pressing contain from 2,5 to 4,5% of ethyl alcohol, from 55 to 60% of water and other compounds (ethers, esters, higher alcohols and so on) that are like those contained in wine, as for the quality level, but different for their ratio, as for instance the methyl alcohol that gets at very high percentage in grape-pomace. During grape-pomace brandy production you can adopt both the discontinuous and the continuous distillation. In the discontinuous process the heating can be directly given. These devices are not so different from those used for wine distillation, they can indeed be used to distill wine or the grape-pomace, excluded some possible modification during the manufacturing. The stills mentioned before are those for “dipped” grape-pomaces, such as the Neapolitan still, or the Combi “rising out” grape-pomaces and the Da Ponte device.

The most modern and rational method based on a distillation has been achieved by the Engineer Mr E.K.Metzner, according whom it is possible to get alcohol, in addition to the grape pomace brandy, by taking out the grape seeds and the tartrate at the same time. It deals with a big still with no alcohol effect equipped with an ongoing working process and supplied with fermented grape-pomaces, at the top, by means of some suitable conveyer bends. The grape-pomaces firstly are poured at the base of the distillation steam collection container, afterwards they reach the device base working out their alcoholic content thanks to some steam jets towards the high alcoholic degree. This alcoholic steam is like a fusel oil and its alcoholic content fluctuates between 10° and 15°, which after having been collected in a suitable tank, is immediately pumped in the distillation column to get a grape pomace at about 70/80° and then passed in a re-distillation-rectification device. So we work in this way in order to get a good taste alcohol, at minimum 96°. Other grape-pomace brandy devices have been planned and are still working in addition to a de-methylating column and other tricks that made the proceeding easier by improving the product quality. The brandy producer always takes care in choosing the raw material quality, the conservation and profit. As regards the raw material quality and conservation the distiller trusts in his traditional experience, whereas the profit can be guided both towards the miniature planner “E. Comboni”, very accurate for the proceeding of degree definition, or mini distillation of the Venetian Da Ponte, who has got the good quality task to incorporate a deflegmater, in order to make the sample product as equal. The best grape pomace brandy is produced in Italy (Piemonte, Veneto, Tremino, Friuli) and it has got the right of “grappa” denomination directly produced from the grape pomace. Grappa denomination is also used in California and in other Countries where Spanish language is spoken: it deals with very reasonable products, a little bit dephlegmated.

In France, in particular way in Borgogna, a very good grape pomace brandy (eau-de-vie de mare égrappé) is produced. In Savoia as well, you get good products, in Franca-Contea, in Aquitanie and the Champagne, where the grape pomace is submitted with particular checks and rules. Among the best ones we mention: Henri Maire, Morin, Cartrox, Lanson. In general the grape pomace brandy is not aged as it happens for wine, because the aging gives the product such a delicacy that could take the flavour and the aroma strength away, two very appreciated features from brandy drinkers. Once aged, we suggest to adopt the same proceeding used for wine brandy, that is in oak barrels. Grappa is the most popular Italian distillate, set in our peasantry history.