The grappa, the most iconic of Italian spiritsis not only a product that evokes tradition and taste, but embodies an approach to production that today we would define as “circular economy”. Since its origins, this distillate was born from the art of enhancing what remains from wine production, demonstrating how the intelligent reuse of resources can generate quality, sustainability and innovation.
The origins of grappa
The first evidence of distillation dates back to antiquity, when alchemists and artisans experimented with techniques to extract the essence of liquids. In Italy, grappa was probably born in the Middle Ages, when farmers began to use winemaking waste to produce a distillate intended for local consumption. The raw material was the pomace, i.e. the skins, seeds and grape stems that remained after pressing for wine.
The art of distillation spread rapidly in the Italian countryside, with rudimentary methods and instruments such as the still. Grappa was considered a product of the people, because it was made with what would otherwise have been discarded. However, its quality improved over time thanks to the refinement of distillation techniques and the contribution of distilling families.
Grappa as a circular economy before its time
The production of grappa is an ancestral example of a circular economy: a process that starts from the recovery of materials considered waste and transforms them into a precious resource. In traditional viticulture, nothing was thrown away. This spirit of saving and respect for natural resources has guided the production of grappa for centuries and still represents a model of sustainability today.
In recent decades, the distillation sector has evolved, with the adoption of advanced technologies and greater attention to the quality of the final product. But the fundamental principle has remained unchanged: transforming wine waste into a valuable product and using every residue intelligently.
Further steps by the sector towards sustainability
In recent years, the world of distillation has seen growing attention towards more sustainable production models, driven both by the environmental sensitivity of consumers and by the need to reduce environmental impact. Many distilleries, traditionally linked to artisanal production cycles, are adopting technological innovations and practices aimed at the reuse of resources.
For example, some distilleries are experimenting with the use of biomass systems to power boilers or the transformation of solid distillation residues into natural fertilizers for agriculture. Still others, such as some in northern Italy, are focusing on the use of grape seeds to extract oil or phenolic compounds intended for the food and cosmetics industry.
In this context, some companies stand out for their ability to integrate innovation and tradition in a completely circular production cycle. Among these we can mention for example Mazzetti d’Altavilla, the first distillery in Italy to achieve complete energy self-sufficiency or Bonollo Umberto distilleries of Padua which emerge as an example of excellence, thanks to its ability to transform waste into clean energy and valuable products.
Famous throughout the world for its proverbial grappa OF Amarone Barriquenot surprisingly included in the ranking Top 100 Spirits drawn up by Wine Enthusiast in 2018 – the Bonollo distillery has made sustainability and the valorisation of resources the heart of its activity, bringing thecircular economy at a higher level with the recent biogas plant inaugurated in recent months in Conselve (Padua).
Here the liquid residues of distillation are transformed into biomethane, a renewable fuel which, in addition to satisfying the plant’s needs, is introduced into the distribution network (Italgas) with an annual production volume corresponding to the average energy needs of around three thousand families, demonstrating how the production cycle can have a positive impact not only on the environment, but also on the community.
How pomace is reused in various sectors
In addition to the production of grappa and biogas, pomace, i.e. the grape skins and seeds that remain after winemaking, are a precious resource for many applications. Thanks to innovative technologies and an approach oriented towards the total valorization of resources, exhausted pomace finds new life in various sectors, transforming itself into high-value materials and substances.
Production of biomass for energy and animal feed
The grape skins, once dried and ground, become biomass, used both as fuel for company boilers and as an ingredient for animal feed. Biomass allows the generation of heat and thermal energy, used in the production process itself, such as the distillation and drying of pomace. This cycle significantly reduces the use of fossil fuels, contributing to a more sustainable production model.
Calcium tartrate: a natural product for multiple uses
Give her calcium tartrate is extracted from exhausted pomace, a natural compound used to obtain thetartaric acid. The latter is a fundamental ingredient in oenology for regulating the acidity of wine, but is also used in the food industry (as a leavening agent or acidity regulator) and in the pharmaceutical industry.
Grape seeds: a concentrate of value
Grape seeds, called pips, are a mine of resources. From them we obtain:
Natural fertilizers
After exhausting every possible industrial use, what remains of the pomace can be transformed into organic fertilizers, completing a cycle in which each residue returns to the earth to enrich it with nutrients.
Circular economy between past and present
Grappa, born centuries ago as an ingenious way to valorise viticulture waste, today reinvents itself as an emblem of sustainability and innovation. The roots of this tradition lie in a past made up of artisanal knowledge and respect for natural resources, but the present sees companies like Bonollo transforming this legacy into a cutting-edge production model, capable of responding to global environmental challenges.
Thanks to modern technologies and a visionary approach, the grappa cycle has evolved into a circular system where nothing is wasted: every residue, from pomace to biogas, is transformed into a resource. This union between the wisdom of the past and the innovations of the present demonstrates that tradition and progress are not opposites, but can feed each other, creating a more sustainable future.
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