Gary Vacin

Hey, Sisk Park bocce ball players, now that it’s September, cooler weather is on the way. So, it’s time to start thinking about the club’s 2019-2020 tournament season. It doesn’t start until November 3, so you have plenty of time to plan to register.

In the meantime, my thoughts go back to Irene D’Aloisio. She twisted my arm a few years ago and talked me into replacing her as publicity director for the club. But she left me a large file of articles she had prepared for the Splash. Here’s one of them from the August, 2013, issue:

“Grappa is an alcoholic beverage, a fragrant, grape-based brandy that contains 35 to 60 percent alcohol by volume. That makes it 70 to 120 proof here in the U.S. The flavor of grappa depends on the type and quality of the grapes used, just like wine.

It is made by distilling the skins, pulp, seeds, and stems, called pomace, which is left over from winemaking after pressing the grapes. It was originally made to prevent waste by using the entire grape.

“So, what does grappa have to do with bocce? In Italy, you may often find a bocce player with a ball in one hand and a glass of grappa in the other. Our American palates are a little different than the Italian palates. Here, one may find a glass of fine wine in one hand, or perhaps a bottle of craft beer.”

Now back to Sisk Park bocce club information. First signup will be at the annual Cottonwood Community Day on Saturday, October 12. More information will follow in future Splash articles.