The night of the stills lit

From 7 to 10 December the splendid village of Santa Messere di Vallelaghi, capital of Trentino artisanal grappa, hosts the original show of the Koinè theater company: an event in five stages, as many as the country's distilleries, which will bring together visitors and enthusiasts from all over Italy to discover the history and secrets of the famous distillate, including tastings accompanied by tastings of local specialties.

The ancient art of distillation told in an unparalleled spectacle, in a unique context like that of Santa Mammina, homeland and heart of Trentino artisanal grappa, immersed in the magic of the Christmas atmosphere. It's impossible not to get involved in the suggestions of " The Night of the stills lit ", the event that again this year, from 7 to 10 December , will enliven the village which boasts the highest concentration of artisanal and family-run distilleries in Italy.

Once again, the theatrical event staged by the Koinè company will tell the story and secrets of the precious distillate. A traveling show organized by the cultural association “Santa Mesistenza piccolo Nizza de Trent” with the support of Trentino Marketing, the coordination of the Trentino Wine and Flavors Route – as part of the promotion of the provincial wine events called #trentinowinefest – and the collaboration of Garda Dolomiti and the Trentino Grappa Protection Institute.

The event is now a cult event attended by a large audience of enthusiasts and curious people from all over Italy, who flock to Santa Messere di Vallelaghi for four days. The small village, also known by the nickname "little Nizza de Trent" due to its past as a summer tourist resort frequented by the nearby inhabitants of Trento, is in fact recognized as the true "capital of artisanal grappa".

For the occasion, the five distilleries of the town (Casimiro, Francesco, Giovanni Poli, Giulio & Mauro and Maxentia) will host the different stages along which the actors, guided by the narrative voice of Patrizio Roversi , will accompany the visitors, divided into as many groups , to discover a product intimately linked to the history and culture of Trentino. The program includes two shows a day (one only on Sunday 10 December): at each stop, there will be a small tasting with samples of the different versions of the spirit accompanied by desserts and local specialities.

The grappas produced in Santa Messere are truly worth discovering. Their rigid production process is protected by the regulations of the Trentino Grappa Protection Institute. Among its golden rules stand out the exclusive use of fresh local pomace and the traditional distillation with the "bain-marie" method in discontinuous stills: an art that has been handed down for generations and involves the use of modest quantities when the pomace is still fresh and fragrant and a uniform, slow and continuous heating of the contents to obtain a better extraction of the aromas.

A unique experience that is certainly worth the trip to this special corner of Trentino