Nardini is an Italian ''
grappa
Grappa is an alcoholic beverage: a fragrant, grape-based pomace brandy of Italian origin that contains 35 to 60 percent alcohol by volume (70 to 120 Alcohol proof, US proof). Grappa is a protected name in the European Union.
Grappa is made by ...
''.
It has been produced and bottled in
Bassano del Grappa
Bassano del Grappa ( or ''Bassan'', ) is a city and ''comune'', in the Province of Vicenza, Vicenza province, in the region of Veneto, in northern Italy. It bounds the communes of Cassola, Marostica, Solagna, Pove del Grappa, Romano d'Ezzelino, Va ...
, in the northeastern part of
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, since 1779.
Nardini has two distilleries and a bottling facility. It has 25% of the total market share and an annual production of 4 million bottles which are exported to markets including
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
, the
United States
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
and
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
.
History
The founder of the distillery was
Bortolo Nardini
Bortolo Nardini is an Italian family-owned producer of alcoholic drinks, notably grappa. Founded in 1779 and based in Bassano del Grappa, the company produces four million bottles of grappa per year - over a quarter of the world market - making i ...
who purchased, in April 1779, an inn at the eastern entrance of the wooden covered
Bassano bridge, on the
Brenta river
The Brenta is an Italian river that runs from Trentino to the Adriatic Sea just south of the Venetian lagoon in the Veneto region, in the north-east of Italy.
During the Roman era, it was called Medoacus (Ancient Greek: ''Mediochos'', ''Μηδ ...
bank. The inn became the “Grapperia Nardini”, strategically located for both the ample water supply, a necessary element in the distillation process, as well as its accessibility to the local regional markets, principally Venice in primis.
The grappa produced by Nardini not only appealed to the taste of the Bassanese population but also to that of the business travelers passing through the area at that time.
In less than twenty years it became a tradition to have a “cicheto” (local gaged shot-glass) of grappa before barging down to Venice or to celebrate the closing of a commercial deal.
The grapperia Nardini is preserved in its original state allowing it to be included in the exclusive Association of
Historical Places of Italy.
In 2004 the Nardini family celebrate its 225th year by unveiling the architectural work Bolle, which was commissioned three years earlier from the architect Massimiliano Fuksas.
Facilities
The distillery is part of
Les Hénokiens, an international club made up of family companies that are at least 200 years old. At the present time the company is managed by Giuseppe, Cristina, Angelo, Antonio and Leonardo Nardini.
References
External links
Nardini webpageLes Henokiens webpageHistorical Places webpage
Grappa
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