Trumpeting the Spirit: L’Orient’s Grappa from Muscat Bailey A

L’Orient is an award-winning, Yamanashi-based winery that was established in 1938. Good sign, good sign, good sign. To add another good sign, it is family run! And to add just one more good sign, they know what they are doing. I had the good fortune to meet the vintner, Mr. Uchida, at the Gourmet Show, which was held at Tokyo Big Sight in February of this year. I sampled some of their wines, which were very good, but what caught my eye and held my tastebuds hostage were the contents of an elegant bottle. It contained grappa made from Muscat Bailey A.

We at drinkingjapan.org have written about Muscat Bailey A MANY times, so the grape will not be the focus of this entry. Suffice it to say, that we LOVE it! For one of our Muscat Bailey A entries, please check the following link: https://drinkingjapan.org/2021/11/09/okunota-baileyzzante-2016-a-traditional-method-masterpiece/.

Okay, the spirit in question here is grappa, which is made from grape pomace. For the ignorant, this is waste. For the cognoscenti, this is the main ingredient in a precious potion. In today’s lingo, it constitutes a good example of upcycling, but the production of grappa can be traced back to the 14^th century. It has long been closely associated with Italy, but other countries are beginning to give the Italians some serious competition. In a recently published article in Bon Appétit, Sam Stone writes, “…American distillers are writing the next chapter of grappa’s story as they craft and bottle exciting new expressions of the digestif.”¹ That may be the case, but I believe that Mr. Stone might be less confident about that if he were to taste L’Orient’s Muscat Bailey A grappa.

Sensory Evaluation: Nose: clear Muscat Bailey A notes. Some of that variety’s cotton-candy sweetness. Palate: The varietal’s notes are more subdued here. Medium level of sweetness. Despite the high alcohol content, 40% ABV, there is no alcohol burn. Smooth. Finish: long. Miscellaneous: beautiful bottle.

¹Stone, S., “Grappa Reimagined,” Bon Appétit (Feb/Mar 2026).