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The Value of Evidence: Quebranta and the Documented Origin of Pisco Mosto Verde

The Value of Evidence: Quebranta and the Documented Origin of Pisco Mosto Verde

Placeres magazine edition 28 june 06 grateful for the opportunity

One thing I have learned from my history professors and from years researching the history of pisco is that every claim must be supported: by a document, a notarial record, or a reliable source that allows us to affirm that something actually happened. A clear example of this is the origin of the name of our Quebranta grape. Despite being the most emblematic criolla, native, autochthonous, or heritage variety of pisco, there is still no conclusive written documentation that definitively explains why it is called that. There are several theories: that the bunches are so large and heavy they “break” (quiebran) the branches; that it was planted in gullies (quebradas); or that it may come from a Spanish variety called Quebranta-Tinajas. To this day, none of them have definitive documentary backing. Researchers and historians still have the floor.

In contrast, pisco mosto verde does have precise, documented information dating back to the 19th century. The earliest known mention dates to 1869, during the Industrial Exhibition of Lima. Four landowners from Ica presented piscos made from Italia grape mosto verde, and all were awarded silver medals. The news was published in the newspaper El Nacional on August 16, 1869. There is also an additional mention of Italia mosto verde brandies in 1872. The German physician and traveler Ernst Middendorf, who journeyed through Peru between 1876 and 1888, left one of the most valuable and detailed accounts after visiting the Quintana family’s hacienda in Ica. His description is extraordinary:«If the fermenting juice is distilled before all the sugar has been transformed into alcohol, a finer brandy is obtained, called mosto verde, with a smoother, sweeter, and more aromatic flavor than brandy prepared from fully fermented must. However, it is much more expensive, as it requires triple the amount of must.»
:«If the fermenting juice is distilled before all the sugar has been transformed into alcohol, a finer brandy is obtained, called mosto verde, with a smoother, sweeter, and more aromatic flavor than brandy prepared from fully fermented must. However, it is much more expensive, as it requires triple the amount of must.»

This technique of distilling the must before alcoholic fermentation is complete allows a greater quantity of residual sugars and aromatic compounds present in the grape to be preserved, resulting in a smoother, more elegant pisco with greater aromatic complexity. These characteristics today position it as one of the most prized and exclusive expressions of pisco.

In addition to the documentary evidence, there is a beautiful story passed down through oral tradition in the Ica region. It is said that the Ica landowner Temístocles Rocha, a major pisco producer and minister during the government of General Manuel A. Odría in the 1950s, received an unexpected visit from the president, who was a pisco enthusiast and connoisseur. Since at that moment he only had fresh musts still in full fermentation, Don Temístocles ordered his master distiller to begin distillation immediately. The result was so exceptional—smooth, aromatic, and pleasant on the palate—that many consider this fortuitous moment helped consolidate and popularize the pisco mosto verde we know today.

This combination of written historical evidence dating back to 1869 and rich oral tradition demonstrates that pisco mosto verde is not a recent trend, but a genuine expression with more than 150 years of documented history. Enjoy pisco responsibly!

Til next time!

By Livio Pastorino Wagner Sommelier, Specialist, and Pisco Taster Registration: CRDO-PISCO 2020 RCO-034-2011
@elmagozurdo

Placeres magazine No. 28 june 06, 2026

Pisco & music

Where pisco is the only protagonist!
#lapiscoteca #piscosour #winelover #pisco #pasionporlacata #bar #elpiscoesdelperu #vino #vinosdelperu #pisco #piscolover #Lima #Peru #Moquegua #Tacna #Arequipa #Ica #piscopunch #piscosour #piscotonic #capitan #chilcanodepisco

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