Case histories
Bonollo distillery, the hundred-year-old art of making grappa
Since 1908, when Giuseppe Bonollo - the founder of the biggest Grappa dynasty to date - started working with steam alembics, a huge innovation at the time, the company's production philosophy has remained practically the same: to keep up with the times by building novelty on the basis of experience and technology, without ever destroying what already exists.
Since then, the distillation system has continuously improved to produce grappa that is not only flawless, but also and above all capable of reflecting on the nose and of amplifying at olfactory level an incredible aromatic amplitude, leaving a perception of sharp finesse and direct character in terms of taste.
The decisive factor in Bonollo's success has precisely been the synergistic combination of the experience acquired in distillation with the highly innovative technology of quality control. This combination has made it possible to develop a rapid and flexible system for the harvesting, analysis and preservation of grape marc, based on the principle that the timely arrival of the grape marc at the distillery and keeping their aromatic potential intact until the time of distillation are indispensable conditions for obtaining well-balanced grappas, that are characterised by a significant aromatic wealth and by the ability to win over even the most expert and demanding connoisseur, fully embracing the company's production philosophy: grappas that are true to tradition in terms of aromatic wealth, but also rather innovative in terms of finesse and direct character, designed to charm and disarm the changing needs of modern consumers.
Backed by the enthusiasm of the fourth generation who recently joined the helm of the company - Luigi, Elvio, Filippo and Giorgio - the Bonollo family has made significant investments in this particular mission and the first tangible result of this commitment dates back to 1999 when the first bottle of Grappa Of Amarone Barrique was obtained: this grappa succeeded in offering a new and innovative type of product, designed to win over a broader range of diverse consumer groups and break the rigid and consolidated industry patterns.
Today, Bonollo is firmly established as a quality market leader. The Head of Communication, Elvio Bonollo, confirms that: “Our family has always kept a keen eye on technological innovation and the use of top-level machinery, which is why we preferred to invest in the certainty of Pieralisi “made in Italy” excellence. We chose to trust in the experience of the company based in Jesi and adopted the JUMBO 3 Decanter Centrifuge complete with the rotovariator in our plant in Conselve (PD), a basin that is particularly rich in top quality raw materials. Thanks to this machinery, which we use in the final phase of the production process, we can separate the liquid component of the distillation residue from the solid one. Using this technology, the residue is centrifuged to dry it and compress it, reducing the waste solid by at least half, saving significant amounts of money to run it.”
Bonollo is also an eco-friendly distillery, as it is particularly careful about reusing the by-products of the distillation process: the depleted grape marc is dried in order to separate the grape seeds - intended to produce the precious food oil - from the grape skins which are packed with cellulose and used for the production of steam - avoiding the use of non-renewable fossil fuels - necessary for powering the distillation process.
Bonollo therefore focuses fully on producing excellent grappa, but without neglecting the value of doing so in an environmentally-friendly way, a crucial aspect that has helped to establish Bonollo as a reputable brand that is a cut above the rest.
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