Grappa

[5] The distillation of alcohol may have been carried out reliably by al-Kindī (c. 801–873 CE), al-Fārābī (c. 872–950), and al-Zahrāwī (Latin: Abulcasis, 936–1013),[6] as well as by the School of Salerno in the 12th century.

[5][7] Grappa is traditionally produced in northern Italy and is also widely consumed in places such as Argentina, Bulgaria, Georgia (chacha), Uruguay, Galicia (orujo or aguardiente in Spanish), and Portugal (known as bagaço or bagaceira).

Around 1600 AD, the Jesuits in Spain, Italy, and Germany studied and codified the techniques used to produce brandy or grappa, and their methods were used until recent times.

Modern refinements included the distillation of pomace under vacuum, the use of varietal grapes and ageing in casks of various types of wood to improve the flavor of the liquor.

Oak is the most used, but some more expensive grappas are aged successively in casks of acacia, ash, and cherry-wood, an innovation introduced by the Marzadro Distillery.

In Sardinia, Grappa is colloquially known as Filu è Ferru (iron wire), as most of the distillation was illegally home-made to avoid customs and excise taxes.

While the peasant distiller could easily recognize the colored spot, the urban-schooled Guardia di Finanza officers were generally unable to tell the difference.

To be called grappa, the following criteria must be met:[9] Criterion 2 rules out the direct fermentation of pure grape juice, which is the method used to produce brandy.

Second, the woody parts of the grapes (the stems and seeds) are co-fermented with the sugar-rich juice; this produces a very small amount of methanol, which is much more toxic than ethanol.

That is why there is an Italian law requiring winemakers to sell their pomace to grappa makers; this is a measure that was taken against moonshine operations, which are now very rare in Italy.