Nabygelegen is situated in the ‘Bovlei’ area just outside Wellington with the Limietberg mountain range overlooking this historic farm.
This is what we all know as Grappa, but we are no longer permitted to use this name in South Africa, so some people might get confused and think this is a new kind of spirit. Grappa is unique, and often expensive, as it can only be made once a year.
It is really a kind of brandy, often called Husk Brandy. The residue of skins, pips and pulp, called pomace, which is left after pressing during the wine making process, is double distilled to quite a strong alcohol level. This particular one is 43% alcohol by volume.
The distilled spirit can be aged in barrel, but more commonly, it is stored in large, glass carboys. One often sees a grape variety on the label and this is, of course, when the pomace of a single variety has been kept separate for distillation and one would naturally achieve flavour profiles similar to that which one would normally find in such a wine.
Most people enjoy Grappa as a digestive or at the end of a fantastic meal. It is said that to experience true perfection, you should drink a grappa made of the same varietal as the wine you enjoyed with dinner.
