And so it was that I came to Gianni Capovilla, a distiller with a heart 'mechanical’

Now there are all sorts of researchers ... scientific researchers, university, Well pharmaceuticals, I want to reveal a secret, I am also a researcher, but the souls of passion! And when in my travels of knowledge, people listening to me see the real sincere desire to discover and to learn, them takes the fateful phrase: Cynthia, you absolutely need to know ...

And so it was that one evening at dinner with dear Josko Gravner speaking of spirits was mentioned the name of Gianni Vittorio Capovilla, while a mechanic in his life driven by passion he decided to become a distiller. Dave Broom contributor to Whisky Magazine, and world-renowned taster,  defines the largest distiller in the world, but as I always say I need to look into the eyes of the people chatting face to face. I love doing it, it is my passion in life and my greatest enrichment, an inner wealth that does not s'inflaziona and that leads you to know great people. That said as I say, “pronti…via!"Head office Rosa in the province of Vicenza.

But let's start from the beginning…

I packed my bags the night before, and the beautiful perky morning was ready and excited to leave for my vacation. Yes, because to me these are really the tour!  It 's like a treasure hunt ... and there's always a happy ending! But alas, a terrible thing happened, key on the machine left!  Nooo ... I was desperate ... but like I said: "You have six months of life, how can you not leave ... and then just today!"You must know that I have a real passion for cars so I come to talk!  I really needed to Gianni, you Gianni Capovilla. And you tell me now: "But excuse Cinzia, but did not say who was a distiller?"Sure you, but years ago was a mechanic and that mechanic ...!  He had the passion I have for sports cars too. But we think, Treviso like me, passionate drive, and pure distiller!  A fairy tale!

Gianni was born in Crespano del Grappa in the province of Treviso. His childhood as part of my, spent in the green of the fields and woods, where he was born his love for the wild fruits. Sometimes we put in the drawers of memory some of our passions, but make no mistake that sooner or later they re-open!  For me and Gianni was so. His adventure began as a mechanic in Bassano del Grappa where Mr. Tosin, a stern but excellent teacher gave him the rudiments of the trade.  But the turning point came when thanks to an Alfa Romeo was offered a contract in Switzerland. Here a customer workshop with the same passion, involved him bringing with them competing and carburetor series machines, and Formula Three. His enthusiasm was seen that the races were participating real pilots, including a Clay Regazzoni ... He knew Jurg Dubler, a Swiss Formula Three champion who ran in the European championship on track. Dubler suggested to John to follow him as his personal mechanic. The salary offered was lower than it felt at the time, but it was too tempting, then he accepted. The adventure that lasted three seasons was only interrupted by the closure of the workshop team. Once back in Crespano, Gianni rented a shed where was born the "Machine Shop Capovilla sport auto". A few years later, man being creative and in need of stimulation felt the need to turn the page. The occasion was the auspicious when a customer Destemmers producer offered him a partnership in the world of wine. He had approached the wine years ago, constituting three partners a small winery. The passion for distilling was born in that period, when secretly as usually occurred, with an alembic began experimenting in the preparation of grappa and distillates.

He lived in sales commissions around Europe until the 1985, but above all realizing what was missing in the Italian culture of distillation.  Austria and Germany were far ahead in terms of number of distilleries, both in the traditional techniques for the production of stills.

Being the mechanics and technique her passion, he decided to design one. And the adventure continues today finally departed in 1986.  He was born on a farm in which it invested his passion and his love for the distillation.

Good, with this in mind I wanted to introduce Gianni, and then we come back to me ... oh my best to visit! Dov'eravamo ...? Ah si, we were indeed was, in a car that would not start just six months! Friends, view of the emergency I was forced to summon friends ... and thanks to a little push and the right incantations, magically lit. I started to drive without turning off the engine until the destination, and all was for the best.

Arrived at Rosa, the navigator put me in the direction pointing to the entrance to a dirt road. The paths until you reach a large area where I saw a sign with a simple written: "Parking Distillery". Entering timidly I was greeted by a nice lady who took me Gianni. We started with smiles and presentations sitting at the table between talk and tastings! As usually happens we ended up talking about me and my adventures. I must say that I live so much at this stage of my life that I never lack topics.  We continued with a stroll in the distillery where honored by his guide, I could listen to the various stages of processing. The stills, be opere d'arte, are made by a craftsman from Oberkirch in the Black Forest, il Signor Muller.  But the real driving force of his passion, è la materia prima proveniente per lo più dai suoi frutteti coltivati secondo il metodo dell’agricoltura biologica certificata. Pensate che occorrono 30/35 kg. fruit to obtain one liter of distilled pure. Ovviamente senza nulla togliere alle vinacce italiane per la produzione di grappa. E qui vorrei fare una precisazione. “There is talk of grappa when you have a product distilled from grape pomace obtained from grapes harvested and vinified in the territory or in Italian Italian Switzerland ",  then we speak of a typical exclusive Italian.

But not only the fruit and marc have a leading role, because another major ingredient berries are loved by Gianni. A case example is the Sorbo dell'Uccellatore. We started with a fantastic taste of plum brandy, and below were not lacking other. Here you'll think ready: "Cynthia is output retort ... " But I will say no, and you know why?  Why Gianni had me taste his spirits in his own way, namely: "Finger soaked in steel container and then in the mouth and ... voila!”

I must say that I was excited by the scents and flavors ... from the distillate and apples, than the wild raspberries, or elderberries, and many other types that the creativity of Gianni experiences, because he told me verbatim: “Every day I find that I have a future,  because every day I have something new to discover ".

At the end of my lovely visit, in front of an apricot brandy Vesuvius,  Gianni wanted to tell some of my projects ... And suddenly snapped the fateful phrase: "Cynthia, You need to know a winemaker that believes in the territory, he will listen to you ... it's called Mattia Vezzola ". I've listened to and I'll tell, because my search continues ...

“I entered the world of distillation through the back door but it was love true, because passion makes the work is not joy but sorrow "

         Gianni Vittorio Capovilla

 

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