🥃 Grappa di Barolo

Grappa di Barolo is an EU geographical indication for grappa made solely from pomace of grapes grown and vinified under the rules of Barolo DOCG wine, that is, from Nebbiolo. It is distilled, aged and bottled in Piedmont and sold at a strength of at least 40% vol. The name has been protected in the EU since 12 June 1989.

The rules are stricter than for grappa in general. Distillation is below 83% vol. rather than 86%, volatile substances start from 200 g/hl of pure alcohol, and methanol is limited to 750 g/hl. Flavouring is not allowed, not even with plants or fruits. Fermented pomace must be placed in dedicated containers within 48 hours of arriving at the distillery, and distillation must be completed within 90 days of the end of the harvest. The yield is at most 8 l of pure alcohol per 100 kg of raw material; sugar is limited to 18 g/l.

Ageing is not mandatory. If the grappa is aged, it must be in unpainted wood of up to 60 hl and for at least 18 months under tax supervision; only then may "riserva" or "stravecchia" be written. The method of distillation may be stated, and stills with a water bath may be called "Bagnomaria Piemontese"; the marks DOCG or DOP are prohibited.

The technical file links the taste to the grapes: the Barolo zone was delimited as early as 1933, the slopes lie at 170-540 m, and Nebbiolo pomace is macerated in the must usually for more than 10 days, sometimes until Christmas. After the wine received its designation of origin in 1966, the name "Grappa di Barolo" spread. The file describes it chiefly as a digestif.

Why this matters to you. The word "Barolo" on a grappa means only Nebbiolo pomace from this wine's zone; other Piedmontese grappas may not use it. "Riserva" here guarantees 18 months in wood. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.