Monday 28 February 2011

My Grappa Heaven

 To just north of Venice at the weekend to go to a wine tasting at Smooth Tony's. On the way Bruno and I stopped off here, at Nardini's Distillery Tap in the historic town of Bassano del Grappa, so you get the idea of this town's principal business. The firm is still family owned and run of course, no stock market quotation or selling out for lots of wonga to some French luxury goods conglomerate here, this is Italy not Blighty after all. All the bottles in the bar are of different types of grappa and they don't sell anything else.

 It was packed at four in the afternoon, with people enjoying a range of different grappa-based snifters.
   
This is the view from one side of the bar of the historic bridge, that's if you can still have the power of vision of course.
And this is the view from the other side. Not bad eh?
Bruno and I started with some serious 50º grappas and then moved on to their Tagliatella which is a grappa-based liqueur and difficult to find outside of the Veneto region. Then we saw some people knocking these back so we had one each.
They're called cinquanta-cinquanta (50/50) and we never found out what the make-up was as we seemed to have mislaid the power of speech. But long live Nardini and Italian tradition!

12 comments:

Diplomate said...

I presume you've died and are writing to us from heaven. This lot is about as good as we could hope to find - dead or alive. I like the idea of a distillary tap. Carry on. MORE GRAPPA !

Peter Ashley said...

I agree, a stunning piece of Combo reporting in both weords and pictures. Actually, that one of Nosferatu behind the bar is one to die for. Grrrr.

Thud said...

I agree...more Grappa.

Toby Savage said...

You are right. I must come on one of these Smooth Tony trips. What a way to go.

Wartime Housewife said...

Blimey; and there was me feeling slightly dotty after three small Sauvignon Blancs this evening. I have work to do and you are my inspiration, Ron.

Vinogirl said...

What is that floating in the drink?

Ron Combo said...

Intrepid One: You were missed by bruno, he has a new supercharged coffee for you
WH: I will always be there for you in a Grappa sense
VG: Probably better not to ask but I think it may well be the bottom of a lemon

Vinogirl said...

Oh, thank God for that...I thought, for a minute, it was a matzo ball.

Anonymous said...

machines kaput and can't remember your email .. hence 'happy birthday' .. here

have a good one

alastair fox said...

... or is it the 12th !!??

Vinogirl said...

Ron, isn't today (the 10th) your b-day?
Many happy returns...for whenever it is!

Ron Combo said...

No it's today, thank you both. I will be trying to break the four-bottle barrier at the restaurant this evening. Plus a serious Nardini to finish (me) off of course. Tough call at my age. Wish me luck.