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Ticino blast exposes grappa-making dangers

Two Ticino men were lucky to escape with their lives from an explosion in Bascia last week that illustrated the potential perils of making grappa, a popular brandy in the Italian-speaking canton.

Ticino blast exposes grappa-making dangers
Photo: Ticino.ch

One of the victims was a 78-year-old man who was in the process of distilling a batch of the strong eau de vie with a colleague when the still exploded.

Ticino cantonal police said the boiler of the pot still rocketed through the roof of the shed where the alcoholic drink was being produced and landed 200 metres away.

"I thank God that I’m still alive,” the pensioner, identified as Achille, told the online website of the Blick newspaper.

He suffered second-degree burns to the feet and was treated in hospital.

“It could have been worse,” Achille said.

But the explosion has set back their plans for grappa production for a while.

Achille is a member of a cooperative that produces 4,000 litres of grappa a year, Blick reported.

Last Thursday morning, Achille and companion Domenico, 77, fueled the 50-year-old copper pot.

They decided to let off some steam and turned a tap.

“There was a bang,” Achille told Blick.

“I flew five or six feet away, slumped on the floor,” he said.

“We saw nothing — everything was full of steam.”

Domenico, who suffered a cracked rib, described the explosion as feeling “like a punch in the side.”

The estimated cost of rebuilding the shed and the still is at least 100,000 francs, which is money “we do not have,” Achille said.

But all the same, the pair are happy to have survived, even if the next round of grappa will have to wait.

Grappa is a grape-based pomace brandy that can contain up to 60 percent alcohol.

It is made by distilling the skins, pulp, seeds and stems left over from wine-making after the grapes are pressed.

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WINE

What is Switzerland’s ‘one franc vineyards’ scheme – and is it legit?

When news broke of vineyards being offered in the southwest of Switzerland for one franc, many asked if it was too good to be true. Here's what you need to know about the scheme (and how much a vineyard will actually cost you).

What is Switzerland's 'one franc vineyards' scheme - and is it legit?

Earlier in Spring, news broke of a new scheme where Swiss vineyards were available for just one franc. 

As with similar stories offering one franc plots of land or houses, the news spread far and wide – which of course was the point – while some eventually became disappointed. 

READ MORE: Gambarogno: The latest Swiss village to sell houses for one franc

While it’s likely to cost you a good deal more than one franc, if owning a Swiss vineyard (or at least part of it) is on your bucket list, you now have an opportunity to do so. 

Why are Swiss vineyards going cheap?

With nearly 5,000 hectares of vineyards and 60 different grape varieties, Valais is Switzerland’s largest wine-growing region.

Unfortunately, 20 percent of the canton’s vines are abandoned and municipalities must uproot them because they can’t find people willing to cultivate them.

A case in point is the community of Savièse, nestled in a picturesque Alpine valley. About 120 plots — four to five hectares — of  its vineyards were abandoned by their owners and therefore not harvested last year, as the commune can’t find people to do the work.

This is a serious case of neglect because “when a vine is not pruned, there is a period of one year to uproot it. Otherwise, there is a risk of spreading disease”, according to Savièse’s mayor, Sylvain Dumoulin.

“There are some vines where we need to do this now, and I fear the number will increase in the future”, he added.

How much does a plot cost?

In order to protect its winemaking traditions in general and abandoned plots in particular, the municipality has launched a new vines-saving project which includes a “stock exchange” of sorts for the sale and purchase of abandoned parcels.

READ MORE: EXPLAINED: How to drink wine like a Swiss

Dumoulin didn’t reveal the cost of a plot of vineyard, as it depends on its location, condition and other factors.

Unfortunately, while you may have seen articles reporting that parcels are being sold for “a symbolic one franc”, this is more than likely a marketing ploy to attract attention than a realistic price.

Savièse’s vineyards. Screenshot, Savièse.ch

“The main long-term objective is to encourage the grouping of plots and thus the rationalisation of the exploitation of these parcels”, Dumoulin told The Local.

He added that currently the project is “exclusively accessible for people who already own vineyards. But from July it will be open to anyone with an interest in purchasing vineyard areas”.

From then on, “anyone can download the application to find plots of vines for sale and to make their owner a price proposal”. 

The app, called “Vignoble Savièse” can be purchased in Apple or Google stores.

One example of such a gimmick was the Ticino town of Gambarogno, located on the shores of Lake Maggiore, which offered houses for one franc.

‘Impossible’: Why Switzerland’s one franc homes are too good to be true

As The Local reported, “the news – along with pictures of the Ticino countryside and the lake itself – spread across the globe, with people inside and outside of Switzerland letting themselves dream”. 

However, the “rustic houses with the view of the lake” turned out to be nothing more than ruins, with no roofs, windows, electricity or running water, situated in remote locations — about an hour’s walk from the nearest village. 

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