The grape picking season – the vendemmia which started last month (article here) on most of the vineyards around Barga is now over for 2007. The svinata – moving the crushed grapes after they had started the first fermentation, from the wooden barrels to the glass demijohn took place earlier on this week (article here)
The grapes have almost finished their story in the winemaking process either being thrown away or used as fertiliser – but not always, as in some cantinas they will be used as the prime ingredient for grappa making.
This time it is not fermentation that is the key to the alcohol making process but distillation.
The crushed grapes are boiled in a sealed container, usually copper and the vapour given off is passed through a thin copper pipe that is cooled in running water.
The thin trickle of clear liquid that comes out at the other end is grappa which can be 50 -70 % proof depending on the quality of the grapes or the experience of the grappa maker.
Grappa making filmed outside barga last year