Nardini

Nardini, a wonderful history of over 240 years. Since 1779, Nardini has always been a family business, joining the exclusive club of family businesses with a two-year tradition, "Les Henokiens". A life dedicated to the enhancement of its territory, the cradle of a rare product, is still alive today, after more than two centuries. Today, it is the seventh generation that continues the family tradition and spreads the culture of an Italian icon throughout the world: Grappa Nardini.

1. distillery in Italy.

Let yourself be amazed by the 200-year history of a family whose name has become synonymous with a product that is an icon of an entire nation over the centuries and generations.

Bortolo Nardini was born in 1739.

Bortolo Nardini, son of Bortolo Nardini and Maria Maddalena Giacomuzzi, was born on May 25, 1739 in Segonzano (Tn) in the Cembra Valley. In a town with an ancient oenological tradition, the distillation of pomace was a widespread practice as a source of income and livelihood. At that time, distillers went from house to house with a mobile still to distil the marc from wine production "on behalf of third parties", and Bortolo Nardini, who took up this "craft", went as far as Bassano del Grappa.

1779 The first Italian grappa

On his way to Bassano del Grappa, Bortolo Nardini had an accident that forced him to stay in the city. During his recovery, he was able to get to know Bassano better and understand its strategic importance as a commercial crossroads between Valsugana and Venice. He had a clear vision and a tenacious will to make it a reality, so he bought the Osteria al Ponte restaurant, today "Grapperia Nardini", to produce grappa in a permanent still and sell it. For the first time, it was no longer a distiller with his mobile still who went to the farmers to distil, but the farmers themselves who gave him the marc to make grappa. Bortolo called his grappa “Aquavite di vinaccia”, Latin without the “c”, playing with the etymology that sometimes calls it “aqua di vita” (water of life) or “aqua della vite” (water of the vine). The first Italian grappa, Grappa Nardini, was born.

1860 Steam distillation
From the end of the eighteenth to the beginning of the nineteenth century, Nardini grappa was distilled in traditional direct-fire stills, and the distillate was stored in large copper vessels, which are still on display at the Grapperia al Ponte. However, in 1860, the family introduced a major innovation in the grappa distillation process: the steam still. The use of steam allowed a significant improvement in the quality of grappa compared to direct-fire distillation apparatuses and allowed the quality of the marc to be preserved without burning it. Today it is one of the most widespread methods in the entire grappa production.

1910 Grappa riserva
The new generation of Nardini: Bortolo, Orazio, Mario, brings a significant innovation: grappa riserva, ". Aged in oak barrels in the style of cognac". Grappa Nardini Riserva is born.

1919 Double rectification
At the beginning of the post-war period, the Nardini family introduced another innovation in the distillation process, the double rectification technique, which ensured greater purity of the product, as it allowed for greater precision in the selection of alcohols, which improved the quality of the final result.

1963 Vacuum steam distillation
In 1963, the Nardini family introduced vacuum steam distillation, an innovation aimed at the constant search for qualitative perfection in its products. This new technique allows the evaporation of alcohols at lower temperatures, which means that the organoleptic properties of the raw material remain unchanged and Grappa Nardini is characterized by an unmistakable floral bouquet.

2006 Grappa in Mixing
Since the beginning of 2000, Nardini, guided by its pioneering spirit, has collaborated with the best international bartenders to promote the culture of grappa mixing. A new way of consuming the national spirit, celebrated in 2006 with the first edition of a book containing more than 40 recipes for grappa-based cocktails: "The Grappa Handbook", written by Marcin Miller.

2019 Our first single cask grappa
On the occasion of the 240th anniversary of the distillery, the Nardini family launches Grappa Riserva 22 Anni Single Cask Selezione Bortolo Nardini, a major innovation in the world of Nardini grappa: for the first time, it is a final product that is bottled in a single cask and aged for 22 years before bottling, and not as a cuvée assembled after a cask aging period.

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