Ten-year celebration Grappa released by Dalla Cia

George Dalla Cia

Fulfilling a lifelong dream, the anniversary grappa was the first distilled by the passionate father-and-son duo, Giorgio and George Dalla Cia.

"Every aspect of our anniversary grappa is an absolute reflection of our artisanal style of production," said George, the third-generation master grappa distiller to continue the family tradition that began with his grandfather, Vittorio, in Friuli, Italy in the1920s and was resumed in South Africa in 1996 together with his illustrious father, Giorgio. Following in their footsteps, George has mastered the art of distilling - and as custodian of the secret family recipe and its hand-forged Alembic copper still - he upholds nearly a century of Dalla Cia family tradition.

Distilled from fermented grape skins of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, the final blend was barrel aged for 10 years in new 225 litre French Barriques. The years of wood maturation have bestowed a deep amber colour to the grappa and added richness to the bouquet with delicate hints of plum, marzipan, orange zest, dark chocolate, cherry and ginger. The taste is velvety and smooth with a layered mid palate and a long, lingering finish.

Everything is done by hand

Only 1,000 bottles of the anniversary grappa have been produced and absolutely everything is done by hand, including bottling and labelling. Individually signed and numbered by George himself, each 500ml bottle is a masterpiece. The Dalla Cia family crest, cast in metal, proudly adorns the neck by a leather cord. Each label is branded Dalla Cia in cursive just like the original family label in Italy. The bottle, wrapped in nappa suede, is presented in a beautiful bespoke cylindrical case.

The special release anniversary grappa was crafted for the connoisseur with the utmost discernment and can be obtained at R2,325 per bottle directly from Pane e Vino at the Dalla Cia Distillery. A limited allocation has been made available to select restaurants and boutique wine shops.