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History

In 2019, the Agricultural Company Tenuta la Bacca of Gabriele Cerutti family was founded, located In San Marco street, Canelli (AT) – Piedmont, ITALY, focusing on the cultivation of juniper berries and other aromatic plants. The passion for liqueurs and its ingredients led us to expand the totally natural components, that is to say, cultivating in a natural way, without the use of any treatment or pesticides. Currently, the entire production of our juniper is used in GIN GAM7.2 TENUTA LA BACCA, with a distillate that enriches the distillate created by Cerutti Family.

CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMON JUNIPER

The common juniper is a conifer that grows in pastures, woods, and arid mountain environments, reaching up to 1500 meters. It appears as an evergreen shrub or small tree with a twisted trunk, and can be between 1 to 10 meters tall, with linear, needle-like and prickly leaves. Only the female plant produces the so-called ‘berries’, which are not fruits but seed cones more accurately called ‘cones’. The male cones are small, cylindrical or oval-shaped yellowish cones producing gametophytes protected in pollen grains. The female ones appear as small cones of greenish color.
Pollination occurs when a grain of pollen lands on a female strobilus; since it is dioecious, two different plants are needed for this to happen. The female plant produces what are known as berries in any case. The seeds mature in the autumn following pollination and are enclosed in a brownish cone called a galbulo (which is more properly the name of the woody seed strobilus of the cypress); scaly and frosty, it consists of 4 fleshy scales fused together containing from 1 to 3 angular seeds rich in an aromatic essential oil.
Due to their appearance, the cones are easily mistaken for berries and are therefore commonly called ‘juniper berries’. They are widely appreciated for their aromatic qualities. The so-called berries or cones are used extensively both in cooking and in the distillation of liquors. In cooking, they are an essential flavoring for game and often for various roasts. Distilled, they are the defining ingredient of gin.

JUNIPER HARVEST

Our plants are located in Canelli on a hillside, between 150/200 meters in height, on San Marco street, one of the few non-viticultural areas in our territory. The collection of juniper berries (Juniperus communis) can take place at different times of the year, usually either in spring or in autumn, and it is possible to find both green and blue berries on the plants during various periods. Once harvested, the juniper is sifted and spread on nets or trays in a designated area to begin the drying process, which can last 15 to 30 days depending on the period, until its bright blue color fades into a dark blue, almost looking black… After drying, it is placed in glass jars and stored until it is used for gin distillation. The collection of juniper is difficult, almost heroic, given the slopes and the rough characteristics of the plant, which is not at all gentle to the touch.