Distillerie Berta

Type of the winery: Family run winery
Area: 8 hectares
Region: Piedmont

WINERY
WINES

The modern state-of-the-art Roccanivo distillery owned by the Berta family at Casalotto di Mombaruzzo opened in the grape harvest of 2002, a historic vintage for this family/business and for the economic development of the Asti wine sector. Other important dates for the company/family are 1947 (construction of the first distillery in Nizza Monferrato), the 1930’s (opening of a Berta pharmacy in Milan), and July 11, 1866 (Francesco Berta’s birth in Casalotto di Mombaruzzo).

Distillation is the exacting art of extracting and concentrating what is found in the raw material, the vinaccia or grape pomace. The quality of a good grappa depends mainly on the character of the grape pomace itself, which must be completely fresh and unspoilt. To guarantee optimal grape pomace conservation not only while stored, but also when transported, the Berta family has introduced an innovative system of collecting pomace in special 200-kg plastic food containers. The grape pomace coming from every Italian region is maintained fresh and damp thanks to this special conservation method. Indeed, in a hermetic container a natural fermentation process is created, during which sugar transforms into alcohol, generating carbon dioxide.

Upon arrving at the distillery, the grape pomace may be fermented, semi-fermented or virgin.

Fermented grape skin is kept in contact with the must, until the latter has become wine. It is ready for distillation immediately after racking, because the sugars in the grape have been completely transformed into alcohol. It is normally obtained by means of vinification of black grapes.

The different types of systems facilitate distilling various raw materials other than grape pomace; it is therefore also possible to extract fine liqueurs from wine and directly from the grape. The Berta family’s choice is clear: quality before quantity. To produce fewer liters, in order to satisfy a more exclusive and demanding clientele, lovers of the bouquet of aromas and scents that only Berta grappa, for decades, has proven to possess. Thus a new concept of drinking grappa is born - not just a simple drink with digestive properties, or a by-product of peasant origin with an aggressive, unsophisticated taste, but a great distillate to be savoured and contemplated, distinct but at the same time subtle in its thousand nuances.

The grape pomace at the end of the distillation process. To protect the surrounding environment, it is collected by specialised companies which obtain a grape seed oil and produce a fuel by drying and compacting the skins. Once made, the acquavite rests in stainless steel containers, but when it shows organoleptic characteristics, it is put in barrels of diverse essences to begin its long and patient path to maturation.

The time spent in wooden casks is key to making a fundamental distinction between refined grappa and aged grappa. Indeed, fining covers a time period which can last between three months and a maximum of twelve months. All that remains barreled for a period longer than a year can be defined as aged.

All our aged grappas start their aging process in the “Vats Cellar”. In this cellar there are 13 vats made of Slavonian oak, a wood particularly suitable for ageing spirits in large barrels.