The process of obtaining grappa from pomace is very complex and delicate: the distillation of solid material, in fact, requires special skills that at Bonollo Distilleries have gradually developed and been handed down since the beginning of the last century. In fact, it is not enough to know how the plants work, but it is also and above all necessary to know how to vary their distillation methods in relation to the specific characteristics of the pomace available: peculiarities that change according to the area of origin and the type of grape variety, but which are also heavily influenced by the course of the viticultural season and the way the pomace itself is stored.
Depending on the types of raw material and grappa to be obtained, Bonollo’s master distillers choose, from the available systems, the stills most suitable for effectively extracting the aromatic charge present in the pomace. The Conselve Distillery, in fact, is characterized by the happy coexistence of different eras, which is evident through the presence of very different stills: there are two bain-marie, lazy tambourines of rather expensive construction, which were once the symbol of gentlemanly distillation because only the lords could afford them. They are used to make grape brandies and fine batches of grappa in which the delicacy of the selection and extraction of the aromas contained in the pomace is decisive.
Then there are six flowing steam cauldrons that yield a grappa rich in personality and with remarkable organoleptic structure particularly used under conditions of high aromatic richness and vivacity, as in obtaining Amarone and Friularo Grappa. Finally, there is the continuous still, which ensures high daily production rates, allowing a large amount of pomace to be processed in its fresh state and obtaining distillates marked by high levels of smoothness and balance.
