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Ditta Bortolo Nardini – Passion for an Italian icon

The oldest distillery in Italy was founded in Bassano del Grappa in 1779 and is now being run in the seventh generation of the Nardini family: Angelo, Antonio, Cristina and Leonardo. They continue the family tradition and are dedicated to an Italian icon – grappa. Distillation takes place at two locations, Bassano and Monastier, whereby in Bassano there is also steel tank storage for white grappa products and a cellar with over 500 barrels made from Slavonian oak for the maturation of the Grappa Riserva. A team of experts in an in-house laboratory oversees the entire work process, thus guaranteeing the highest quality standards.

For grappa production, grape marc from mainly local, typical grape varieties is selected. Quality control begins with the harvest and, 24 hours at the latest after pressing, the marc is delivered to the distillery. Here it is stored in air-tight containers to guarantee the high quality of the distillate. Despite the size of the company, there is a strong focus on traditional distilling methods, with the goal of constant improvement. Speaking of tradition: the distillery is a member of ‘Les Henokiens’, an exclusive, international club of about 50 family businesses, which are at least 200 years old.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Acqua di Cedro, Selezione Bortolo Nardini 7 y.o., and silver for Mandorla, Selezione Bortolo Nardini 15 y.o. and Amaro.

Casa Real – Singani: Bolivia’s ‘national schnapps’ in top quality

In 1981 Don Luis Granier Ballivian founded „Sociedad Agroindustrial del Valle“. His family has over three generations of experience in wine-growing and in the production of Singani, a high-proof brandy made from the Moscatel de Alejandria grape with controlled indication of origin. It is mainly produced in the traditional wine-growing region of Tarija, and the production process is similar to that of the Peruvian and Chilean pisco.

The company has grown over the years. The wine-growing area in the region of Santa Ana del Valle Central de Tarija covers 204 hectares, the winery has a storage capacity of nearly 5 million litres. Every year, 40,000 bottles of wine and 800,000 bottles of Singani are produced. Once the grapes have been pressed, the must is left to ferment without the mash for 5 to 21 days in steel tanks. Following distillation in Alambic, Andes spring water is used to dilute it to drinking strength. In contrast to brandy, Singani matures for some months in stainless steel tanks instead of oak barrels.

The distinct aroma reflects the fruity sweetness of the muscat grapes, which is why Singani is an ingredient in many traditional, Bolivian cocktails as well as a popular refinement for some dishes. Small amounts in compotes, fruit sauces or cakes create a subtle flavour. The Casa Real product line was quickly established as a premium brand in Bolivia and includes many types of Singani. The flagships are „Don Lucho Aniversario“, triple destilled from a selection of the best grapes from their own vineyards and „Don Lucho de Oro“, blend from a triple & quadruple destilled with passage through French oak barrels of first use.

At the World Spirits Award, there was gold for Gran Singani, and silver for Don Lucho Gold Collection Singani Ultra Premium.

Stock Polska – Prestige products with history

Polmos Lublin (known today as Stock Polska) was founded by the industrialist Emil Plage in Lublin in 1906 and was able to survive both world wars and the communist state leadership. The company was nationalised in 1948 and re-privatised in 2001. It traded on the Warsaw Stock Exchange until 2005 and was sold in 2006. The new owners, Oaktree Capital Management, purchased the spirits division from Eckes Stock in 2007 and thereby laid the foundations for the current Stock Spirits Group. The company has its headquarters in Luxembourg, its service centre in Great Britain and its production sites in the Czech Republic, Italy and Poland.

Stock dates back to the year 1884 when Lionello Stock founded a beverages business in Trieste. He purchased a distillery in 1920 in what is currently part of the Czech Republic with the aim of tapping into new markets. This was followed by distilleries, bottling plants and warehouses in Italy, Austria, Poland, Hungary and Yugoslavia. In the 1920s, Stock was one of the biggest companies of its kind in Europe.

After an absence of 70 years, Stock returned to Poland and began to manufacture at the historic site of Lublin, 150 kilometres south-east of Warsaw. Intensive investment led to the creation of the most modern distillery in Poland and a leadership position on the vodka market. Poland’s most popular flavoured vodka is produced here: Zoladkowa Gorzka.

Lots of Stock products are produced by traditional recipes. These classical brands appeal to connoisseurs all over the world. In return, work is constantly being done on innovations that correspond to modern tastes and new drinking cultures. Quality standards are constantly upheld in both areas, of course.

The quality of the products was recognised at the World Spirits Award with a gold medal for the Orkisz Spelt Vodka.