Il mercato della Grappa: approvvigionamento e distribuzione geografica (Analisi del settore nel Vicentino)

"The Grappa market: supply and geographical distribution (sector analysis in the Vicenza area)" 

Grappa has long been associated with the image of poverty, of people leading hard lives and turning to alcohol in order to find consolation for their sufferings. Typical testimonials in Grappa literature used to be soldiers in trenches and mountain smugglers chased by customs officers.  Nobody wants to write off this part of history but we must also balance it with the noble reputation of the product, which does exist and is quite pleasant. Why not talk of Cavour's relationship with the eau-de-vie he produced in Grinzane, of Paganini who in Asti used to recover with a drink of Grappa after the hard journey from Genoa to Turin, of Khrushchev who got so keen on Grappa that he stocked up on it when he went home after a journey to Italy; and what about the Grappa sipped on the Dolomites by Pope Wojtyla?

The concept of riches, so useful in establishing a product that must round off its hedonistic power with some ostentation, certainly does not stop at a nice emulation. In the case of Grappa the richness is real and represents a plus that can set it apart from major competing spirits. Grappa is in fact a distillate produced by artisans: however big the producer, the company is still firmly in the hands of a family whose components are or have been master distillers. And this has produced a very interesting phenomenon: the 123 distilleries still in operation are all different from one another, skillfully adjusting, harvest after harvest, to the owner's philosophy and the raw material characteristics. The result? An endless number of grappas, each one with its own personality, each one capable of giving different emotions, and so sparing our increasingly demanding modern customers the monotony of repetition. Grappa, in itself, certainly has what it takes to aim for the world: it is an admirable embodiment of Italian genius and creativity, it is an integral part of a successful wine industry, it is a distillate with a great aroma and complex personality, it can be produced in small quantities and is, therefore, precious.

These intrinsic qualities will turn it into a commercial success, and benefit the entire production chain (from grapes producer to retailer) only if two conditions are met:

• better regulations to protect Grappa from imitations and make consumers feel safe;
• application of the canonical rules of marketing.