ÙE Malvasia: fresh grape, pear and apricot impressions
A delicately aromatic whole-grape spirit at 38% vol.
Stainless steel vats photographed at Nonino, Percoto, 2025. Naturpuur, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. A document of the distillery’s equipment, without identifying a particular batch.
Naturpuur · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Original document · CC BY-SA 4.0
The whole berry enters the still
La Malvasia belongs to ÙE, the grape spirits created by Nonino in 1984. Their defining feature is the distillation of skin, flesh and juice together. The starting material is therefore different from the pomace used to produce grappa.
Malvasia grapes are selected when ripe. Fermentation is immediately followed by batch distillation in copper steam stills. The spirit then rests for six months to a year in stainless steel, with no maturation in a wooden cask.
A restrained expression of fruit
Nonino describes a fresh, crystalline and lightly aromatic palate recalling apricot and pear. These are tasting impressions within a grape spirit.
Delicacy is part of its identity. Explaining a clear, restrained expression is more useful than assigning a long list of perfumes to it. The focus is the fruit, its freshness and how clearly it can be followed on the palate.
A useful guide to choosing
We serve a 4 cl measure at 38% vol. Malvasia, pear, apricot, fresh and grape spirit are useful terms for finding it in the search.
Within the same family, ÙE Fragolino leans more towards blueberry and woodland fruit. Comparing them helps a guest choose a fruity profile without necessarily moving to a sweet liqueur or a reserve shaped by oak.
Sources and further reading
Original photographic document
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