OUR PROCESS

THE VECCHIA ROMAGNA METHOD

Brandy is the earliest spirit obtained from the most distinctive product
of the Mediterranean civilisation: wine. Vecchia Romagna
is produced only from the best wines and via an
exclusive method; the result of centuries of experience,
consolidated knowledge and Italian know-how.

DISTILLATION

TWO DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES

The first phase of the “Vecchia Romagna Method” is distinguished by the combination of two different distillation techniques.
The first is the discontinuous phase in which the wine is heated for 8-10 hours in Charentais alembic stills. During this phase, the heads and tails of the spirit are expertly cut so that only the “heart” of each distillation cycle is collected in the barrels, a precious concentration of all the aromas and scents of the original wine. The second is the continuous phase, also known as “column still” distillation; an uninterrupted distillation cycle that can obtain a high alcohol content in a short period of time. The most important component of this last phase is the steam, which evenly distributes heat and provides the spirit with purity and smoothness.

The first is the
Charentais-type
discontinuous phase
and the second,
the column-still
continuous phase

AGEING

FROM BARRIQUES TO BARRELS

The ageing process follows, one of the most crucial moments in the production of our brandy. Resting in wood and the passage of time define the character of the spirit and enrich it with complex and evolved aromas and flavours. The large Vecchia Romagna ageing cellars in the heart of the Bolognese countryside house almost 4000 barrels, each custom toasted, crafted by the skilled hands of master coopers. A quiet, intimate atmosphere where, among the wooden and ethereal scents, one patiently awaits the brandy’s slow transformation.

AGEING

The spirits are aged in two types of wooden barrels with different capacities: the first are the barriques (400 L), small French oak barrels where the spirit rests for at least a year in close contact with the wood to acquire an intense aroma and a subtle vanilla scent. The next step involves large Slovenian oak barrels (4000-5000 L) where, due to a slower exchange with the wood, the spirit preserves all of the qualities of the original wine, becoming refined and rounded.

The barriques for an intense
aroma and vanilla scent,
and the big barrels
for a refined, rounded spirit.

BLENDING

COMBINING SPIRITS.

The final phase of the Vecchia Romagna method is blending: the aged spirits are hand-picked and combined by skilled hands in a delicate game of balance, to maintain Vecchia Romagna’s sensorial characteristics unchanged over time. The crucial step of this phase is the marriage, when the selected brandies are combined in large vats and left to rest for at least three months before being bottled in the iconic triangular bottle.