It was a dark and stormy night….no, it really
Our drinks for the evening were Italian specific. Not due to planning but coincidentally we started and ended the evening with Falanghina. Appetizers with Vino Spumante, a couple hearty, old vintage Italian reds with dinner (ooey, gooey, lasagna – yum!) and grappa as the culmination. That’s right, I said grappa! Dare I say, it was the rock star of the evening. I’m not usually a lover of distilled spirits but due to the rave reviews of my dinner guests, I took a few swallows to confirm what the others were saying – this stuff was GOOD!
The sentimental part of me loved that the grappa was the star of the evening. We brought it back from Italy about 9 years ago from Cantine del Mare, our favorite small, family-owned winery in Monte di Procida. It came with a tag, that had No. 161 handwritten on the bottom. Unfortunately, I don’t remember any background information but like to think it was a special small batch production for the maker as well.
A little back ground, grappa is a digestivo from Italy (and the part of Switzerland by the Italian border). It is made by using brandy to distill pomace (leftover skin, seeds, stems and pulp from winemaking) and usually comes in around 35-60% abv. It was originally created to prevent waste but now is deemed legit all on it’s own.
Our digestivo was Monté Grappa di Passito Falanghina – passito means the grapes were dried on mats concentrating the sugars and making for an absolutely delectable grappa. Aged in neutral French oak barrels for 8 months, the grappa had a harmonious and elegant structure, soft on the palate. The age was seen through the beautiful, amber color, rich and luxurious.
The warm grappa, warm house and warm fellowship somehow made the rain and cold go away for the evening…until we opened the door. We said goodbye to our guests and watched them brave the dark and stormy night hoping the lingering warmth of the grappa somehow made the pelting rain a little less obnoxious.
by 
