White, red, amber

Young grappa can be distinguished from aged grappa simply at a glance: in fact, the young one, instead of being of a more or less intense amber color, is completely clear and transparent like water. On very first reflection this might seem strange; in fact, the molecules responsible for the color of the marc are the so-called flavones (for white wines) and anthocyanins (for red wines), which are present in large quantities in the very skins. By itself, the grape fruit has a very very faint coloration tending toward greenish; to make red wines, the skins of freshly pressed grapes are macerated with the must for varying lengths of time. However, the pomace that arrives at the Distilleries is still loaded with coloring substances, but they do not evaporate as the molecules responsible for the organoleptic characteristics do: this is why the color remains in the pomace and flavors and aromas are distilled and concentrated in the grappa.