Grappa and Komovica: the same pomace, two characters
The fireplace that comes out of the press today has a deadline of seventy-two hours. After that, the acid is distilled, not the brandy.
Coma that comes off the press these days has a deadline of seventy-two hours. The moist pile of skins, seeds and stalks begins to spoil as soon as the pressure is off, and anything past that time is distilled as vinegar, not brandy. That is why it is not postponed in September - the cauldron works while the harvest is still warm.
The difference is not in the country but in what goes into the cauldron
Grappa is a protected name and according to regulations it is made in Italy, from Italian pomace, by distilling the pomace itself — not wine, not beans. Serious houses worksteam, in discontinuous boilers, because the steam extracts the aromas and does not cook the plant material until bitter.
Three addresses are enough to understand the range.Nardiniin Basan del Grapa has been operating since 1779 and is the oldest distillery in Italy; its clear grappa is what stands on the bar after coffee in the area.Noninofrom Percott to Friuli in 1973, he was the first to distill the pomace of a single variety, thus inventing the categorymonovitino— the muscat grappa from that house smells like a flower, not alcohol.Marolofrom Alba, Piedmont, she makes grappa out of barolo pomace and keeps it in the wood for years; that's the other extreme, closer to whiskey than brandy.
Homemade komovica starts from the same raw material and ends up in a different place. As a rule, with us, the pomace comes firstfermented in a barrel or plastic container, often with the addition of water or residual must, then baked on direct fire. The result is rougher and broader, with a hint of skin and stone that the grappa grinds away.
When: grappa goes after a light meal and with bitter chocolate, because its aroma is thin and easily trampled over.Komovica is opened after lamb, sarma and dry meat— there is its roughness an advantage, because it cuts the fat in a way that a clear Italian brandy cannot. They do the same jobhoneysuckle and herbal medicineafter the barbecue.
A rule that applies to both:head and tail are discarded, and mercilessly. The logic we explained in the text about how it workscauldron plumthe same applies here, only pomace is more sensitive because it carries more methanol from the pectin of the skin. Pomace brandy that burns in the nose and leaves a headache is not strong but poorly cut.
Grappa is a protected name and according to regulations it is made in Italy, from Italian pomace, by distilling the pomace itself — not wine, not beans.
Where it is seen in person, and at what temperature it is drunk
September and October are the only months when the whole process works in front of you. UŽupa aleksandrovačkaAt the end of September, the Župska berba takes place, and on those days the boilers work in the yards along the country roads around Aleksandrovac. USremski Karlovciwas a grape grower in the same period, and inNegotinska Krajinaare opened after the harvest of rajačka and rogljevackapimnice— stone buildings dug into the slope, where everything is done twenty meters from the vineyard. The address is in MontenegroCrmnica, where komovica is baked with itsparrowwhich grows there.
Three questions separate a host who knows from one who bakes by feeling: whether the brazier was steamed or on a direct fire, how many liters were separated by the head, and at what strength the tail was cut. Whoever answers in numbers, that man is trusted.
The raw brandy comes out at 65 to 70 percent and is diluted with distilled water until40 to 45 percent, in steps, with a few weeks' rest in between. Anyone who offers you komovica stronger than 50 percent as proof of quality is selling you stale brandy.
Young clear grappa is drunkcooled to 9 to 13 °C, not icy — at zero it closes and only alcohol remains.Vecchiaor invecchiata, which according to Italian regulations requires at least twelve months in wood, goes to 13 to 15 °C, andriservaor Stravecchiafrom eighteen months to15 to 17 °C. The glass is a narrow tulip with a tapered tip, two to three centimeters; a small round balloon burns the nose before you smell anything.
The last thing: do not open the komovica bought in September. Pomace brandy needs at least six months in the glass to settle. The same bottle about Christmas is a different drink.
Questions & answers
short and to the point- What is the difference between grapefruit and homemade grape marc?
- Grappa is a protected Italian name and is distilled from the pomace itself, usually steamed. Homemade komovica is first fermented, often with the addition of water or must, and then roasted over direct fire — it is coarser and cuts fat better.
- At what temperature do you drink grappa?
- Young clear at 9-13 °C, vecchia with 12 months in wood at 13-15 °C, riserva with 18 months at 15-17 °C. The ice grappa closes and only alcohol remains in the nose.
- How much alcohol does pomace brandy have?
- The crude comes out at 65-70 percent and is diluted to 40-45 percent. Anything over 50 percent is unfinished brandy, not proof of strength.
