FAQ

The Italian people! Grappa, as a spirit, was conceived in the context of the medical  school of Salerno, where, around the year 1000 AD, the rules of the concentration of alcohol through distillation were codified and its use was recommended to cure  various human ailments. Thus distillates were granted a long lasting success.

Grape marc, alcohol-producing raw material, which was poor - as against wine, for example, it contains two thirds less alcohol - but quite widespread, was taken immediately into consideration and its spirit was known already in 1400. However, there is no clear-cut technological distinction among alcoholic distillates before the beginning of the 19th century, when the Italy of grappa went its own way and achieved the creation of a drink with unique and unrepeatable features.

The ideal temperature for young and aromatic Grappas is from 9 to 13°C, for aged Grappas it is around 17°C (with few rare exceptions).

It is recommended, in case of failing, serving a Grappa too cool because you can always heat it in the palm of the hand to grasp the evolution of the handsome flavor.

Grappa is a unique brandy and there are three elements that confer the degree of its absolute typicality: 

• it is the only one to be made peremptorily by a solid material placed directly into the still
• it is the product of a specific geographic area
• it is the result of a technology developed over centuries

A grappa can take on the name of a Docg, Doc or Igt wine when it is obtained from raw materials deriving from the production of that wine.

(Source: Istituto Nazionale Grappa)

In the past few years many brands are borned, so there are no accurate statistics
There are three categories of enterprises:
- Distilleries (like Poli), those for which the term "distillery" is not only a word in their trade name, but which actually have steam coming out of their stills: about 130 of them have been counted over the past two campaigns. A curious fact, is that there were more than two thousands of them at the end of last century. This is why distillers should be added to the list of protected species;
- Bottlers who buy Grappa - generally at high alcohol content - from various distilleries, combine different Grappas following their own recipe and carry out all the necessary operations to make the spirit suitable for consumption and packaging, too. By law they can be called "producers" like the distillers. Currently, this category counts more than 500 enterprises;
- Traders with their own trademark, who have the product packaged by distillers or by bottlers. At the moment, they are some thousands and, among them, there is the considerable phenomenon of the growing production of "farm Grappa". This is a constantly increasing business and consists in vine-growing and wine-producing farms, which have Grappa distilled from their own grape pomace by distillers they trust, and then sell it together with their wines.

In the past few years the production of Grappa has oscillated around 40 million bottles (0.7 liters of 40% alcohol by volume), datas derived from the statistics of the financial administration of the State, which imposes an high excise on Grappa and therefore it is always very careful in controlling the product.

No, its production is strictly linked to our Italian production of grapes which, is decreasing remarkably. Less than one third of the grape pomace is used for the production of Grappa; the balance gives ethyl alcohol. This has a notable effect on the final quality of the spirit since Grappa is derived only from the best pomace grape, judged as the most suitable after a closer selection.

Copper is a metal with a characteristic red colour, and is similar to gold and silver for its chemical-physical properties. Extremely ductile and malleable, and an excellent conductor of heat and electricity, it is currently used in the pure state and in alloys (such as bronze and brass) in many applications (gift articles and crafts, plumbing/heating systems, electronics, protective coatings, coins, architecture, etc.).

Copper is found in the native state almost pure: it was one of the first metals discovered and used by man, and is easy to work even cold simply by beating with a hammer.

The symbol of this metal, Cu (Cuprum) and its name in different Western languages (English copper, French cuivre, German kupfer, Spanish cobre) comes from the island of Cyprus (Latin Cyprum), which was one of the main centres for the production and export of copper; whereas its Italian name rame comes from the Latin aeramen.

Cyprus was also the main centre of worship of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, the Venus of Roman religion. In alchemy, the symbol for copper is the mirror of Venus, a circle with a cross pointing down, which coincides with the symbol of the planet Venus and therefore with the feminine symbol.

Figure 1: The alchemical symbol for copper

The elements of stills for distilling grappa are traditionally made of copper for various reasons:

primarily because copper binds chemically with several sulphur compounds that are naturally present in the marc, in being produced by the microorganisms of alcoholic fermentation and following the possible use of sulphur dioxide as an antiseptic and antioxidant in the grape vinification stage. During distillation, insoluble copper compounds are thus formed which chemically bind some unpleasant smelling molecules containing sulphur. These compounds precipitate to the bottom of the columns of the still and are discarded with the distillation waste, thereby not entering the distillate.

If, however, the still was not made of copper, these substances would compromise the organoleptic properties of the distillate and give it an unpleasant odour such as that typical of bad eggs, due to the presence of free sulphuric acid, or a putrid and waxy smell due to the presence of mercaptans.

The walls of the still are therefore a vital part that continues to interact with the distillate, gradually becoming consumed. A copper still therefore requires constant maintenance.

Copper also is a good conductor of heat. It can withstand high temperatures, because it melts at 1083°C, and does not deform or break even when subjected to considerable temperature fluctuations. In a copper boiler, the heat is distributed quickly and evenly. The mass to be distilled does not burn, because the heat is not concentrated in a single area but is distributed over the entire surface. The rapid increase in temperature favours reaching of the evaporation point of the various volatile compounds contained in the raw material, without them forming unpleasant empyreumatic compounds which would give the distilled a baked and burnt smell.

Copper is very malleable and ductile (i.e. the ability to be rolled and drawn). It can therefore be easily worked to create curved surfaces such as those of the elements of stills. For example, rolled copper sheet is used for the boiler shell, whose rounded shape serves to evenly distribute the heat.

Copper is corrosion resistant: a metal that is highly resistant to the alcohol vapours produced during distillation. Furthermore, copper is highly resistant to marc and fruit acids. It does not give the distillate a metallic taste and helps neutralise any unpleasant odours and tastes.

Lastly, copper is 100% recyclable. More than 40% of the copper currently used in Italy comes from recycling. Recycled copper has the same chemical-physical and technological properties as primary copper.

There are five discontinuous pot-stills in function: three are composed each one by 4 flowing steam copper cauldrons (the first was installed by the founder GioBatta Poli back in 1898, the second by Toni Poli in 1956, the third by Jacopo in 1983); the other two stills are composed each one by 2 bainmarie boilers; one distills under pressure and one in vacuum.

To separate the volatile parts of a solid or liquid substance, making them evaporating by means of heat and then condensing by means of cooling.

The master distiller is the true author of Spirit as it determines the organoelettric profile of Grappa. In Italy, this figure has always been little valued relative to its importance. The current legislation now allows you to quote on the label is the master distiller that the alembic with which it forms a fundamental binomial for the characterization of Grappa.

Every year, approximately 20% of the barriques in the ageing places is replaced with new ones.

Grappa has a character so pronounced because it accumulates aromatic substances thanks to the skins of the grapes, the favorite part of the fruit for the vine. The fact of imposing their presence in the still, unlike other countries allowing distillation of juice obtained by washing the grape pomace with water, accentuates the personality of the Spirit.

It is certainly not for intrinsic qualities and, if the preciousness of a good is inversely proportional to the amount hesitated on the market, it is even more reason: for every thousand bottles of spirits consumed one or a little more is of Grappa.
Its quantity is also limited because you can get only the Italian marc. The production of our spirits flag will always be much lower than other large geographical name spirits in the European Union (against some less than 10%).

You can book a visit to the Poli Grappa Museum - premises in Bassano del Grappa (VI) or to the Poli Distillery and Poli Grappa Museum - premises in Schiavon (VI) online here: poligrappa.com/eng/visits

Poli Grappa Museum - premises in Bassano del Grappa:
every day, from 9 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.
Closed 25 December, 1 January and Easter

Poli Grappa Museum - premises in Schiavon:
Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 7 p.m.;
Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2.30 p.m. to 7 p.m..
Closed on Sundays.

For any requirements, please do not hesitate to contact us.

If there are disabled people, a tour of the Poli Distilleries and the Poli Grappa Museum in Schiavon is possible by notifying at the time of booking.

Poli Grappa Museum – premises in Bassano del Grappa:

The admission to the Poli Grappa Museum in Bassano del Grappa is free of charge.
The fee for a tour and for the tasting of 5 spirits is 3,00 € per person.

Poli Grappa Museum – premises in Schiavon:

The admission to the Poli Grappa Museum in Schiavon is free of charge.
The fee for a guided tour to the Distillery with the possibility to taste any of the Poli distillates is 10,00 € per person.

▶ BOOK YOUR VISIT ◀

It is possible to customize the visit offering savoury or sweet buffets, upon request to info@poligrappa.com.

A visit to the Poli Grappa Museum - premises in Bassano del Grappa and the Poli Grappa Museum - premises in Schiavon, is free and self-guided with the support of multimedia literature. The Museum personnel are there to answer all your questions about the world of grappa.

A tour of the Poli Grappa Museum - premises in Bassano del Grappa, takes about 30-40 minutes.
A tour of the Poli Grappa Museum - premises in Schiavon, usually takes 1 hour and a half, but it is adaptable to your needs.

The guided tour with our staff is available, on request, in English, German and French.
As for the self-guided tour, we inform our guests that the multimedia information materials is available in Italian, English and German.
A video explain the production of Grappa in Italian, English, German, French, Israeli and Japanese.
All captions and information boards are bilingual: in Italian and in English.

At the premises of the Poli Grappa Museum in Bassano del Grappa and in Schiavon there is a showroom where you can taste and purchase the whole range of Poli Distillerie products.

Purchasing is reserved for persons who are at least 18 years of age.

You can reach the Poli Grappa Museum - Bassano del Grappa premises:

BY TRAIN:
rail connection Trento – Venezia or Padova – Bassano del Grappa, Bassano del Grappa train station. The Poli Grappa Museum is a 10-minute walk from the station.

BY BUS:
Bassano del Grappa can be reached by bus from Venice, Verona, Padova and Vicenza.

BY CAR:
From West (Milan) or East (Venezia): A4 Milan – Venice motorway by Vicenza, turn into the A31 VALDASTICO motorway towards PIOVENE ROCCHETTE: exit at DUEVILLE junction, turn left twice, following the directions to Bassano del Grappa.
Distance (in km): Vicenza 34, Padova 46, Treviso 48, Verona 105, Venice 104, Milan 260.

From south (Florence):
When driving from the south on the A13 motorway Florence-Padova, once by Padova follow the directions to Milan, turning into the A4 motorway Milan - Venice.
Once by Vicenza, turn into the A31 VALDASTICO motorway: exit at DUEVILLE junction, turn left twice, following the directions to Bassano del Grappa.
Distance (in km): Florence 304, Roma 570.

From north (Bolzano):
When driving from the north on the A22 motorway Brennero - Modena, exit at TRENTO NORD junction, then follow the directions to Padova and Vicenza. Around one hour later , exit at junction BASSANO CENTRO.
Distance (in km): Belluno 77, Trento 93, Bolzano 143.

BY PLANE: the closest airports to Bassano del Grappa are Venice Marco Polo (110 km) and Treviso Canova (46 km)

You can reach the the Poli Distillery and Poli Grappa Museum - SCHIAVON premises:

BY CAR:
From west (Milan) or east (Venice): A4 Milan - Venice motorway by Vicenza, turn into the A31 VALDASTICO motorway: exit at DUEVILLE junction, turn left twice, following the directions to Bassano del Grappa. 12 kms further you reach Schiavon. We are located on the right handside at km 22, along state road 248. Distance (in km): Vicenza 22, Padova 56, Treviso 60, Verona 75, Venezia 87, Milano 237.

From south (Florence):
When driving from the south on the A13 motorway Florence-Padova, once by Padova follow the directions to Milan, turning into the A4 motorway Milan - Venice.
Once by Vicenza, turn into the A31 VALDASTICO motorway: exit at DUEVILLE junction, turn left twice, following the directions to Bassano del Grappa. We are located on the right handside at km 22, along state road 248. Distance (in km): Florence 280, Rome 554.

From north (Bolzano):
When driving from the north on the A22 motorway Brennero - Modena, exit at TRENTO NORD junction, then follow the directions to Padova and Vicenza. Around one hour and fifteen minutes later, you'll reach a roundabout where you'll take the third exit to Vicenza. We are located 3 km after the roundabout, on the left handside, at km 22, along state road 248.
Distance (in km): Belluno 90, Trento 110, Bolzano 150.

A big parking for 10 coaches and 100 cars is available.

BY PLANE:
the closest airports to Bassano del Grappa are Venice Marco Polo (110 km) and Treviso Canova (46 km)

Being the Poli Grappa Museum - Bassano del Grappa premises only 12 kms far from the Poli Distillery and Poli Grappa Museum - Schiavon premises it's easy to visit them both in a couple of hours.

From Bassano to Schiavon:

BY CAR:
follow the directions to Vicenza for 14 kms, the distillery is located on the left handside, at km 22, along state road 248.

From Schiavon to Bassano:

BY CAR:
from the distillery, take state road 248 northbound, following the directions to Bassano del Grappa.