Grappling with Grappa: Nonino Merlot and Picolit

Grappling with Grappa: Nonino Merlot and Picolit

Grappa is one of those drinks that I've rarely enjoyed meaning, I've hardly ever had it, and when I have, I haven't enjoyed it much. Rocket fuel. Battery acid. Shoe polish.

But I try to keep an open mind, so tonight, The Wife and I went to Fox & Obel for the Nonino grappa tasting that C2 was kind enough to bring to our attention.

Traditionally, grappa, made with grape seeds and skins, is consumed with dessert and/or coffee. Dessert I can understand: the acidic sharpness of the drink balances the richness of the dessert. With coffee, I don't get it (same as I don't get Irish Coffee - why add acid to acid? And, no, whipped cream doesn't help the taste, and it makes a cup of joe look way too girly).

Anyhow, the grappa tasting at Fox & Obel was an eye opener. Every one of the Nonino grappa I had were better than any of the other glasses I had ever had (we also had some glasses of grappa-like beverages, but I'm going to talk about just two of the grappas):

- Grappa Merlot. This is an aggressive grappa by Nonino standards, but so much smoother and flavorful than most grappas. Very clean taste from start to finish, like you're getting to the gritty essence of the grape. Not polished, but pungently aromatic, with a nice bite. $32.99 (375ml).

- Picolit Grappa. Using Sauterne-like grape seeds and skins, this was the first ever single-vineyard, single-varietal grape grappa, and it was exceptionally smooth and rounded. My personal feeling was that it was a little too smooth. Last week, I pondered at what point catsup became (though addition of curry or jalapeno) not catsup. This beverage was so mellow, so beyond the traditional crudity of grappa, that it made me miss the roughness of lesser varieties. $79.99 (375ml).

The Wife and I went home with Grappa Merlot, and enjoyed it with a cucumber dip and French bread. Quite a nice combination, and quite an excellent evening; this Fox & Obel/Paterno Wines International event was a marvelous introduction to several grappas, complemented by generous platters of bread, cheese, fruit and chocolate. I'm on the mailing list now, so I intend to go to more such F&O events (be forewarned, however, that if you park across the street, and stay past 15 minutes past the event, browsing and shopping in the store as we did, you will get dinged with at least $18 in parking fees).

Hammond