Where Grappa Comes From and Where It Is Made

Where does grappa come from and where is it made?

Words by Simon Difford

Grappa originated in Italy and European law dictates that to be termed a grappa a brandy must have been distilled in Italy from Italian grape pomace. Grappa production originated in the of North Italy, particularly the Trentino-Alto Adige and Val d'Aosta regions, with Veneto, Friuli and Piedmont most identified with grappa production.

These northern Italian regions have a large number of noted producers that benefit from cooler weather at an altitude better suited to grappa production with more acidic grapes and more favourable conditions for storing pomace.

Pomace brandy is produced in most traditional wine making countries, with each country having its own term for the resulting spirit, i.e. 'marc' in France and 'bagaceira' in Portugal. USA producers cause some confusion with the Italian product by also using the name grappa.

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Italian wine regions