A grape's skin holds the fruit's best flavour. Grappa, the spirit made from the skins, is proof of that. Photo / Thinkstock
Every drink has its day and thinks this is the day to sip a smooth spirit.
Think of grapes and you think of all the nice things - good wines, bowls of fresh fruit, tangy vinegars and luscious juice. But there is one part of the humble grape that is ignored and that's its skin.
This is a pity, really, because most of the flavour of
a grape is in its skin, which is why many wines are left in contact with the skins for maximum flavour extraction. More often than not, these skins are then disposed of, but perhaps more winemakers could take a leaf out of Italy's book.
Grappa is a reasonably well-known spirit, but is often cruelly misunderstood. Many lump it in with rough brandies or fiery neutral spirits instead of appreciating it for what it really is - a great drink.
Grappa is not really brandy. Brandy is fermented wine, whereas grappa is made by distilling grape skins, usually left over from winemaking. This makes it the only drink distilled from solids rather than from some form of liquid.
