rappa is a distillate made from grape skins and residues after pressing.
The history of grappa goes back to 1000 A.D. when the Medical School of Salerno codified the rules for the concentration of alcohol through distillation and prescribed its use as a cure for various diseases. Since grape residues were cheap and widely available, they were immediately used for distilling spirits.
The earliest mention of acquavite (brandy) dates back to the 1400s, but the first documented research on the topic dates to the 1600s and was carried out by the Jesuits.
For many centuries no distinction was made between distillates obtained from grapes and those obtained from other kinds of fruit. Only in the early eighteenth century, did grappa became a distinct product with its peculiar characteristics. Today, grappa is an excellent Italian product protected and regulated by both national and EU laws.
