"The more you learn about wine or pisco, the more you realize how much there is still to learn.
In truth, we are all lifelong students of the vine.”
Today, with Peruvian gastronomy being celebrated around the world, we have an extraordinary opportunity to give our pisco the place it deserves at the table. And how do we begin? By introducing pisco menus in our restaurants.
Just as so many restaurants proudly present an extensive wine list, why shouldn’t they also offer a dedicated pisco menu?
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The diner should be the one to decide which pisco they would like to enjoy: puro, mosto verde, acholado, or a pisco selected for a cocktail —whether a Chilcano de Pisco, a Capitán, a Pisco Sour, a Pisco Punch or an Algarrobina.
But for this to happen, we first need to understand our national distillate. How many pisco grape varieties are there? How many types of pisco are produced? And, more importantly, what makes each of them different?
Imagine a diner ordering a Pisco Sour. The first thing the waiter should do is present the pisco menu and invite the guest to choose.
If the diner is unfamiliar with pisco and says, “Please choose one for me” —a foreign visitor, for instance— then the waiter or bartender can make the selection based on their own knowledge and judgment.
But if the diner looks at the menu and asks, “Oh, how interesting! Which one would you recommend?”, the answer should be simple:
“How would you like it, sir —slightly dry or sweet?”
Personally, I recommend a dry Pisco Sour made with Quebranta, our native grape variety.
Of course, the guest may also choose an aromatic pisco, a non-aromatic one, or a blend of different grape varieties —an acholado.
A special case: Mosto Verde
Mosto verde deserves a category of its own.
It is a premium pisco, made from approximately 16 kilograms of pisco grapes, and in my opinion it should be enjoyed neat, allowing its smoothness and quality to express themselves fully.
There will always be customers, however, who insist on using it in a cocktail.
“The customer is always right,” someone once told me.
And perhaps they are.
After all, enjoying pisco is also about personal choice.
Aromatic or non-aromatic?
A natural question follows: What is the difference between an aromatic and a non-aromatic pisco?
The distinction lies in the aromatic intensity offered by each of the eight grape varieties authorized for pisco production.
Four are considered non-aromatic, or less aromatic:
Quebranta, Mollar, Negra Criolla and Uvina.
And four are aromatic, or more aromatic:
Italia, Torontel, Moscatel and Albilla.
The label should also indicate the authorization of the Pisco Denomination of Origin, together with the year of production.
“Like wine?”
“Yes, sir. Just like wine. No pisco is exactly the same from one year to another.”
Five regions, five expressions of pisco
Peru has five regions with a Pisco Denomination of Origin:
Tacna, Moquegua, Arequipa, Ica and Lima.
What does this mean?
It means that pisco may only be produced within these designated regions. But, beyond the legal definition, there is something even more fascinating: each region gives us a distinctly different expression of pisco, shaped by its climate, soils and altitude above sea level.
Interesting, isn’t it?
This is precisely why it is so important to understand what we are offering.
A sommelier teaches us how to pair different wines with particular foods. In the Land of Pisco, the sommelier should do much the same with pisco: introduce the guest to its different expressions, guide the choice, and ultimately allow the diner to decide which pisco —and which cocktail— they wish to enjoy.
Pisco at the table
There is another dimension worth exploring.
A pisco cocktail, just like pisco enjoyed neat, can be an excellent aperitif. And neat pisco can harmonize beautifully with desserts.
I suggest trying non-aromatic piscos with chocolate, pecans, almonds and dried fruits, while aromatic piscos can be paired with desserts that offer greater acidity and freshness —mousses, passion fruit, lemon, orange or lime, for example.
Naturally, this is not a universal rule.
Taste is personal. What matters is to explore, to discover, and to find the combination that speaks to each individual palate.
Let us put pisco on the table
So, taste. Experiment. Take the time to discover the aromas, the flavors and, above all, the magic of pisco.
It is up to all of us to ensure that every restaurant in Peru —and why not, restaurants around the world— has a pisco menu.
A menu that does more than simply list bottles.
A menu that tells a story.
A menu that invites people to discover Peru through its grapes, its regions, its traditions and its extraordinary distillate.
Ask for the pisco menu.
And enjoy pisco responsibly.
Until next time!
By Livio Pastorino Wagner
Sommelier, Specialist, and Pisco Taster
Registration: CRDO-PISCO 2020 RCO-034-2011
@elmagozurdo
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