An Italian Expert Explains What Grappa Actually Is - Francesca Nonino on its History, Making Process, and the Biggest Drinking Mistakes
Unlocking the real world of elite Italian drinking culture requires moving past the "lighter fluid" stereotypes to explore the rigorous science, hidden history, and strict family dynamics behind crafting authentic, single-varietal grappa - and don't forget about the lethal production testing required to keep consumers alive.
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Francesca Nonino, sixth generation of the Nonino family, and host Catrin Skaperdas have an entertaining and informative conversation about Italian culture inclusive of:
- What is grappa
- What makes grappa authentic
- How grappa was discovered
- Catrin's first experience with grappa
- What grappa not to drink
- The test that grappa producers need to do in order to ensure it won’t kill you
- How Grappa fits into Italian culture
- Why you need to read the label when you buy/drink grappa
- The process of making grappa
- How the first single variety grappa was born
- Running a woman-run business Italy
- Being a woman in the grappa industry in Italy
- Pros and cons of running a family owned business in Italy
- Francesca Nonino’s journey and passion for her family and her company
- The Nonino family story
- The story of the first female master distiller in Italy
- History of grappa
- Drinking culture in the U.S. vs Italy
- The biggest mistake you can make when drinking grappa
- Francesca’s thoughts on Made in Italy
Chapters
2:15 Intro
4:20 What is Grappa
6:54 Catrin’s first experience with Grappa
9:41 How Grappa is part of Italian culture
12:15 Why it’s important to read the Grappa label
16:40 The process of making grappa
21:44 Francesca Nonino’s memory with her Nonno
23:24 The birth of the single variety grappa
26:38 Running a woman-run business in Italy
29:29 The story of the first female master distiller in Italy
31:10 Dynamics of running a family run business in Italy
38:08 Marketing Grappa in the United States
44:18 Drinking culture in the Us and Italy
47:18 The biggest mistake you can make when drinking grappa
49:21 The truth about made in Italy
51:37 Outro
More about Francesca Nonino:
Francesca Bardelli Nonino, sixth generation of the Nonino family, is Head of Web Communication and co-responsible for the U.S. market alongside her aunt Elisabetta at Nonino Distillatori.
After earning a Master’s degree in Economics and Business Management — enriched by a semester at Yonsei University in Seoul and an internship at illycaffè — she joined the company as a Brand Ambassador. Alongside her professional role, she further developed her expertise through two master’s programs in Social Media Communication and User Experience, a certified bartender course, the AIS sommelier certification, and the WSET Level 3 qualification.
In February 2021, she was selected by LinkedIn to officially join its global LinkedIn Influencer program, a network of leading entrepreneurs, academics, and managers. In May of the same year, she was recognized as “The Grappa Influencer.”
In 2022, she received the America Award for promoting an iconic Made in Italy product overseas. In June 2023, she won the “Digital Night – Talents Transforming the Digital World” award for modernizing the communication of a historic product, followed in October by the “Impact Marketing Award.”
In August 2024, she was included in Wine Enthusiast’s global “Future 40” list, highlighting professionals shaping the future of the beverage industry, and was also named among the Top 100 communicators by Forbes Italia. In 2025, she received the Italy Ambassador Award in the Food & Beverage category, dedicated to content creators who promote Italy in the digital world. In 2026, she was awarded the Dominae Prize, recognizing women who represent Made in Italy globally.
Her next goal is to learn the art of artisanal distillation from her mother and grandfather and become a Master Distiller.
Connect with Francesca on Instagram: www.instagram.com/francesca.nonino
This interview is available to watch on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube, and available to listen-only everywhere else you can get podcasts.
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