Grappa

I have a small collection of great bottles here at the island and thought I’d blip my very favorite with the grapes blown inside for the weekly blip challenge of “bottle”. It’s my husband who has a fondness for Grappa and he saw this bottle right out of his grappa book (Grappa, by Axel and Bibiana Behrendt) at a state liquor store in Seattle so had to have it. ( It was good... ) Here’s how the book begins: “Forget the throat-burning grappa that the pizzeria owner down the block used to offer you after your meal. This once-cheap after dinner tipple has changed- in style, in quality, and in status. Not since scotch whisky conquered the world a century ago has a spirit managed to establish itself so strongly on the international market.” !! (Our first grappa was brought out in a big jug from the basement of an Italian restaurant in the village in NYC to celebrate our son’s graduation- oh my,-I thought it was lighter fluid)

Grappa is a pomice brandy produced by direct distillation of the skins of pressed grapes- produced IN ITALY. It also comes in all sort of sizes and shapes of beautiful bottles. I started looking around here and surprisingly found all of these! - most have been gifts from friends- except the Luxardo on the left (still 1/2 full which H found here in Canada at a wine store...(it’s terrible! ) The tall Alexander bottle with the grapes says on it’s tag “The purity remains during the process becoming grappa, shining like the crystal and transparent like the water. Sight, smell and taste are the senses that help to appreciate the grappa, but it is the sense of smell the meaningful. It is not a coincidence to say the the grappa “is tasted specially with the nose.” The grappa Marolo is made with barolo grapes so has some color from those skins. Too strong for me,- I can appreciate the different tastes and “noses” but mostly I love the bottles!

A nice day, but more overcast. Lots of cleaning - getting ready for 4 friends coming tomorrow for the Canadian long May weekend. The weather forecast is not looking great.

I've blipped the beautiful grappa glasses in Seattle before that were a gift from a friend....