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Vinsanto, Grappa and other spirits
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Grappa represents with no doubts the most typical italian distillates. Its origin is a very long time ago, more or less around the year one thousand, and named brandy (acquavite) within the studies of the Scuola Salernitana which has defined and codified the rules to concentrate alcohol by means of distillation and its use to cure many human pathologies.
Grappa is obtained both from the processing of "vergin vines" and "fermented vines". The first one is obtained by "making wine white" (see white wines) and this is the one not taking part to the fermentation process (fresh skins),while the fermented one is the leftover of the normal making of wine (pressed skins). Therefore in the first case we get a "grape distillate" while in the second one a "vine distillate".
Vinsanto, even more of grappa, is deeply bound to Tuscany, where it is served as a dessert wine and traditionally offered as a welcome in all farms and farmers' home.
There are several kinds of vin santo, but the most famous is the tuscan one, coming from Trebbiano, Malvasia and white Canaiiolo grapes.
The grapes are picked up at the end of october and then left to wither on specific racks for three or four months.
When the grapes are withered, they are pressed obtaining ca. 30 litres of must for each quintal of grapes.
The must is then preserved in small casks, where it is left to ferment slowly because of the winter cold; only the next summer you will get an almost completed fermentation.
It will remain in the casks fro about 4 years and then it will be transferred in specific little wood casks called "caratelli" where it will complete its ripening; at the end of this period it will be bottled. Tuscan Vinsanto is a classic wine to serve after meals, and it is excellent together with dried fruit, with desserts and the famous "cantucci" (sort of biscuits).
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A peculiar drink (it cannot be defined as spirit), deeply bound to the town of Livorno, which cannot be forgotten is the Ponce livornese-style.
Its processing is unique: in a small glass we put sugar and a lemon slkin, then we pour some Rhum which is specificly produced in Livorno or surroundings, make it boil using the coffee machine spout and we add a bit of strong coffee unitll we fill in the glass.
Now the ponce is ready to be drunk, appropriately after a nice lunch or a delicious dinner, or to relieve the first cold symptoms.
This recipe comes from the last century, when Mr. Rodano Civili, owner of the Bar Civili of Livorno, historical pub near the train station in the street Della Vigna n° 53, invented this strange mixture.
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