When I started working in the wine industry, I managed a store owned by a Greek family in Texas. Every year they would visit the mother country and bring back a true cornucopia of artisanal Greek paraphernalia: Kalamata olives, feta cheese, dried figs and wild oregano, olive oil and candied fruits. What I most looked forward to, though, was the grappa that an uncle made that came to me in a big plastic soda bottle. This stuff was the elixir of the gods. When I quickly and inevitably ran out I could never find a commercially available substitute…until I tried Jacopo Poli’s Sarpa di Poli. See, this grappa is made with as much care and in equally small batches in Schiavon, Italy as the Greek grappa that came in the soda bottle. It’s made from the pomace of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon and has deep penetrating aromas of jasmine, sweet pear, green fruits, coriander and anise. It’s bone dry and super clean on the palate but maintains that rich flavor profile for over a minute on the finish. I love all the spirits of the world, from rich Highland Single Malts to funky agricole Rhums, but when all is said and done, nothing is as exciting and satisfying for me as an artisanal grappa like this.