Care is what separates the harsh grappa many of us have experienced from expressive grappa treasured by sommeliers. Sidewinder is the rare example of a distillery located inside a winery. Because our still is only a few feet from our grape press, we have the freshest pomace available. Nowhere is there a more perfect setting for producing grappa.
Sidewinder Spirit’s grappa production began at the end of the 2017 harvest as the last of our red wines (Cabernet, Merlot, and Malbec) were being pressed. The pomace from these wines was blended and then transferred by hand into the pot still where the skins were distilled for the first time. At the end of each distillation, the still was cleaned, and pomace again transferred to the still. This truly was a time-consuming labor of love. The spirit from the first distillation (the stripping run) was collected in a steel tank. Then, the stripping run was distilled a second time (the spirit run), with care being taken to retain only the first cut of the hearts. The yield is extremely low – one ton of fruit produces a scant 7 gallons of finished grappa.
Sidewinder Spirits handcrafted grappa is pot distilled in small batches from the pressings of our finest wines. Double distillation and careful control of every step in the making allows us to capture exotic aromas from the best part of the grape – the skins.
Enjoy our grappa after a meal or as the base of a finely crafted cocktail.
Eau de Vie de Vin is a rare spirit. Though there are several distilleries producing a product called Eau de Vie, these are usually distillates of fruits other than grape. Outside of the French producers of Cognac and Armagnac, production of a clear Eau de Vie from grapes is uncommon. Instead, most grape spirits are barrel aged into brandy, which allows the distiller higher margins on their product.
Sidewinder Eau de Vie de Vin is distilled from Malvasia Bianca grapes, a rare variety planted in our coastal hills. Malvasia is a fragrant and exotic wine, unlike any other . To preserve these gorgeous flavors, we harvest the wine early and distill it in small batches immediately after fermentation.
