A conference on Italian grappa has been organised by the Italian Cultural Institute in Tokyo for 25 November. The speaker will be Hayashi Shigeru, a sommelier with particular expertise in Italian wines, who will talk about grappa, how its history is intertwined with the history of Italy, and recount his discovery of the spirits world.
The lecture – part of the events planned for the 6th Week of Italian Cuisine in the World – will be held in Japanese with a simultaneous translation into Italian.
Grappa, a by-product obtained from pomace, was originally a beverage for the poor, often produced by hand at home, to help fight the cold and the fatigue of work. Over the centuries it has become a drink inextricably linked to Italian history and cuisine.
Hayashi Shigeru was born in Japan, in the Shizuoka prefecture. From 1990 to 1999 he was Chief Representative of the Suntory office in Milan. In 1994, he received the qualification of sommelier from AIS, the first Japanese to receive this recognition. Since 2005 he has managed the consulting company Solo Italia Co. Ltd.
He is the author of numerous publications, including “Il vino italiano” (Italian Wine), CCC Mediahouse (latest updated edition 2018), the first manual on Italian wines dedicated to professionals; “La vita è bella anche se lo stato sarà distrutto” (Life is beautiful even though the state will be destroyed), Banraisha 2016; “Il piacere della cucina giapponese e il vino italiano” (The pleasures of Japanese cuisine and Italian wine) Banraisha 2018; “Il vino italiano e la cucina giapponese” (Italian wine and Japanese cuisine), Icaros 2019. A book about grappa is being published by the publishing house Taru shuppan.
For further information: eventi.iictokyo@esteri.it.
