Nocino? Walnuts? Saint-John the Baptist? What’s going on here? Well, this is simply something you do not want to miss, one of Italy’s true culinary treasures. Nocino is the revered “meditation elixir” from the land of Parma hams and the finest balsamic vinegars When it comes to creating this limited drink, things at Aggazzotti are just as they have always been. Aggazzotti’s Nocino is obtained from the walnuts of some 1,400 trees on their estate. The soft green walnuts of these trees are picked around June 24th, the feast day of San Giovanni.

The walnuts are then carefully split and macerated with alcohol in glass ‘demijohns’ for a year. The demijohns are exposed to sunlight in Aggazzotti’s open’air aging room, which gives the Nocino its distinctive dark ‘“ almost black – hue. After this year of maceration, the spirit is transferred to stainless tanks and blended with spices and allowed to age for another four years before bottling. What are the spices? Well, that’s a secret that has come down in the family for generations.

The Aggazzottis pride themselves in being among the few remaining “traditionalists” adhering to their time-honored techniques. The results are remarkable. Thick and blackish brown in color with a tint of the walnuts themselves. Aromas? An entire medley of beguiling earthy walnut notes laced with a complex spiciness. Just as in centuries past, Aggazzotti’s Nocino is to be sipped and savored, filling the senses and engaging the mind.