With wine deeply embedded in the national identity, and high-quality productions spanning anything from liqueurs to artisan beer, Italians are no strangers to the arts of fermentation and distillation. The country’s profound passion for whisky, however, has never managed to trickle down from independent bottlers and whisky clubs to master distillers.
At least not until recently as, since the pioneering launch of Alto Adige’s Puni whisky in 2015, the past few years have witnessed a true explosion of whisky projects. With 12 distilleries already having released their own malts, some industry insiders believe Italy could soon boast as many as 20 active whisky makers. And unusually for such a young industry, Italian whisky is already carving out a strong identity deeply influenced by the country’s vinous heritage.
An established distillation infrastructure
Psenner, Poli, Roner and other renowned producers of grappa (the distillate made from grape pomace) are at the forefront of Italy’s whisky revolution. These producers benefit from established distillation infrastructure and ready access to casks for maturation, giving them a significant head start in a country where whisky making is still in its infancy.
‘In Italy, the fact that most whisky producers come from the world of grappa distillation is evident in their concentration in the Alpine region,’ says Davide Terziotti, a renowned Italian whisky consultant and event organiser.
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