FROM DOMODOSSOLA WITH LOVE - IF YOU KNOW YOU KNOW!

Villa Mercante Wines

Welcome to our ONLINE STORE  and blog. 

As a barware, lighting and home accessories design company, at Thomas Fuchs Creative we specialize in handmade goods. Every week we give you a behind the scenes look at the people, places and things that inspire us.

Villa Mercante is a storied family winery, rooted in centuries of tradition. Known for their meticulous craft, they create wines that tell the story of Northern Italy’s rich terroir. From their elegant reds to crisp whites, each bottle captures the essence of the land and the passionate hands behind it.

The Italian Vineyard

In the enchanting foothills of Domodossola, where Alpine air kisses the vineyards, Villa Mercante whispers its legacy once more. This summer, their grappa, bold and rare, awakens senses across Europe. But the story is deeper than a sip. Having introduced Tania and Tiziano Mercante thirty years ago, and like fine wine, their love has only grown richer.

To mark their almost 30th anniversary, they gathered our Italian friends in Miami—at a stunning table crafted from Tania’s mother’s Chinese screens, shimmering with mother-of-pearl. BUT, the true pearl at the table was the Grappa.

Villa Mercante's New Introduction- Grappa

Grappa is made by distilling the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems (i.e., the pomace) left over from winemaking after pressing the grapes. It was originally made to prevent waste by using these leftovers. A similar drink, known as acquavite d'uva, is made by distilling whole must. The original date grappa was created cannot be determined, but was likely first made pre-1300s as distillation arrived in Italy during the Middle Ages.

In Italy, grappa is primarily served as a digestivo or after-dinner drink. Its main purpose is to aid in the digestion of heavy meals. Grappa may also be added to espresso coffee to create a caffè corretto, meaning "corrected" coffee. Another variation of this is the ammazzacaffè: the espresso is drunk first, followed by a few ounces of grappa served in its own glass. In Veneto, there is resentin: after finishing a cup of espresso with sugar, a few drops of grappa are poured into the nearly empty cup, swirled and drunk down in one sip.

Toasting in Italy with Villa Mercante's Grappa

The grappa, though not available in the States (yet!), became a whispered secret among our close-knit group. The Mercante wines, already beloved in the U.S., were the perfect companion. And with each sip, love—like grappa—reminded us to wake up and fall in love all over again. Cheers to a timeless story, poured from the heart of Northern Italy to ours.

There is having held the post as Global Brand Director for Remy Martin's LXIII cognac there is no other VIP taste test group I am honoured to have been included in more that Tiziano's custom pasta recipe, Tania's beyond elegant table and table scape and Grappa to end the evening which was nearly the end of us as we were all contemplating Ubering home.

Thomas Fuchs Barware

We hope you are drinking your spirit of choice out of our Thomas Fuchs Barware made from the Italian Marble quarry's of Pietra Santa to the Isle of Murano all our barware, like the grappa is "Fatto a Mano" (made by hand).

Check out Villa Mercante Winery and get your hands on their Grappa, Both hands as in one bottle in each hand.

Have a great Weekend,

MICHOU