db speaks to Altamura Distilleries managing director Frank Grillo to discover how the brand is utilising Puglia’s ancient wheat varieties to create vodka, Italian style.

“Despite his Sicilian heritage and sharing a surname with one of the island’s best-known grape varieties, US-born Grillo is blazing a trail for spirits, rather than wine, in Puglia, rather than Sicily. When asked how he ended up in the heel of the Apennine Penisula, Grillo said: “By accident! When we were looking where to move in Italy, we knew we wanted to head somewhere south. We looked at airport access and good food, and Puglia flies to the top pretty quickly when it comes to that, so even though we’d never been here, we said ‘let’s go’. Puglia is already renowned for the quality of its bread, and no meal in the region is complete without a healthy portion of crusty carbohydrates, perhaps accompanied by a generous glass of Primitivo and plenty of locally-produced olive oil…

Read the full interview by Louis Thomas on thedrinksbusiness.com

Frank Grillo came from the USA to discover Altamura wheat and transform it into a delicious vodka.

Hi Frank, first of all, your name is Italian. Where were you born?

I was born in New York. But my family is Italian on both sides. On my father’s side, the Grillo family is from Licata, Sicily.

Tell me a little bit about when you decided to move to Italy.

I’ve loved Italy my whole life; I have always wanted to wanted to move here. I‘ve traveled here more than anywhere in the world. I really had the idea that I would retire here but… professionally, I was a marketing consultant and during COVID, I was sitting in an apartment in Atlanta with my husband and I thought, I can do this job from anywhere in the world, what are we waiting for? That triggered the decision to say, let’s go. So we made the decision to move in 2020 but actually moved here in 2021, along with Steven Acuna, a good friend and my business partner. And four dogs…

Read the full Interview by Sharla Ault on Sharlafied.com

It’s a myth that vodkas are neutral and flavourless. Like just about any spirit, the raw material used to produce vodka has an influence on the final flavour…

…One of the most common raw materials for vodka production, and used by a number of major brands, wheat is generally considered to produce a spirit that is bright and light, with some sweetness…

…Making the most of the ancient wheat varieties found in Italy’s Altamura region is Altamura Vodka. Its founders discovered the traditional bread of the region, Pane di Altamura, which is protected by a Protected Designation of Origin, and sought to reimagine this through distillation.

Check out the full article by Clinton Cawood on live.imbibe.com

Altamura will be available in the UK via distributor Boutinot UK from 1 June. The vodka claims to be the first spirit made from 100% ancient Altamura grains. Frank Grillo, founder of Altamura Distilleries, said: “We are excited to offer a vodka that is truly unique and represents the values of our company. Altamura Vodka is a state of mind, a world made of people who love to share and live their lives fully. Strong but elegant, intense but smooth, this vodka represents a new and undiscovered tasting experience. We are sure you will love it.”

Read the full post by di Melita Kiely on TheSpiritBusiness.com