Grappa and Distilleries
Valle di Cembra is considered to be the home of Trentino Grappa
Distillation of the grape marc in Valle di Cembra was often the only guaranteed source of income and survival for families living in a very harsh, impoverished economic climate, so much so that “lambicàr” in Trentino dialect means both distilling and living a hard laborious life.
Grappa was not just drunk, it was also used for medicinal purposes: as an aid to digestion, a tonic, a disinfectant and for poultices, rubs and as a mouthwash against any kind of pain.
Today, distillation still uses the all-Trentino artisan bain-marie pot still method perfected in the fifties and sixties by Tullio Zadra. The work done by the distiller to cut head, heart and tail is fundamental. The use of very fresh marc and its slow, even steam heating gives a softer, finer product and better preserves its aroma.
The high quality achieved by blends or monovarietal grappas, whether young or from reserves matured in wooden barrels, is widely renowned in Italy and abroad.
