GIA Distillery

GIA Distillery is a small, hand-crafted spirits distillery in a historic 1895 train station in downtown Madison, NC — where “Asheville meets Sicily.” Founded by a pair of longtime winemakers, one raised in Sicily and one from Asheville, GIA brings old-world Italian technique to a lineup of small-batch spirits, most notably a traditional Grappa that’s genuinely rare to find made in North Carolina.

Everything here is done by hand, one bottle at a time, and the tasting room — set inside the old depot in the Madison Social District — is open Fridays and Saturdays for sampling the spirits, ordering a cocktail (they make many of their own mixers), and soaking up a distinctive corner of the Madison food and drink scene.

Be sure to check out the pictures below to get a feel for GIA Distillery before you go — or to relive the visit after.

Asheville Meets Sicily in an 1895 Train Station

GIA’s story is really the story of its two founders. Sal Giaimo grew up in Sicily, making wine on his grandfather’s Italian vineyard for decades; Mark Sorrells comes from Asheville and has been homebrewing since the 1980s. Between them, they bring well over 40 years of winemaking and brewing experience, and when they turned that knowledge toward distilling, the natural result was a distillery that blends Italian old-world tradition with North Carolina craft. They’ve operated GIA out of Madison’s 1895 train station since 2017 — a fitting home for spirits made the slow, traditional way.

“Hand-crafted” is meant literally. At GIA, every step is done by hand and in small batches — crushing the grapes and grain, fermentation, distilling, and bottling — with no automated systems. It’s labor-intensive, deliberately so, and the extra effort is the whole point: the goal is a set of spirits with real character, made for people who appreciate the craft.

The location ties it into the community. The old depot sits within the Madison Social District, part of the revival that’s brought new life to downtown Madison, which means you can carry a drink and stroll the district on tasting-room days.

The Spirits

The standout is the Grappa — GIA’s Francesca Grappa is made in the traditional old-world style from Trieste, using the whole grape for fermentation and resting in French oak for a smooth, elegant, golden spirit. Grappa is uncommon enough in North Carolina that it’s a real reason to seek GIA out on its own; there aren’t many places in the state making it, let alone making it this way.

GIA’s whiskey is nearly as distinctive. Its FJW American Whiskey is aged using the Solera method, an old Spanish technique in which barrels are stacked and blended in a waterfall effect — as whiskey is drawn from the bottom barrel, older and younger spirits mingle down the stack. The result is a smooth, top-shelf bourbon-and-whiskey profile, and the aging method itself is a rarity worth appreciating.

Rounding out the lineup is a premium vodka — handcrafted from 100% corn, charcoal-filtered, and distilled six times for a clean, smooth pour — along with bourbon and brandy. Across the board, the products reflect the founders’ old-world sensibility and hands-on approach.

The Tasting Room

The tasting room is where it all comes together, open Fridays and Saturdays inside the historic depot. You can sample the spirits, learn the stories behind them, and order a cocktail — and since GIA produces many of its own mixers in-house, the drinks carry the same hand-crafted character as the spirits themselves. Local food occasionally appears as well, so it’s worth checking their social media before you go.

Between the setting, the spirits, and the founders’ evident passion for what they do, a visit to GIA feels less like a stop at a bar and more like being let in on a small, old-world operation. It’s an easy and memorable addition to a day in Madison.

Good to Know

• Location: 203 East Murphy Street, Madison, NC 27025 (in the historic 1895 train station, within the Madison Social District)
• Founded: GIA has operated in the Madison train station since 2017
• Founders: Sal Giaimo (raised in Sicily) and Mark Sorrells (from Asheville), with a combined 40-plus years of winemaking and brewing experience
• The approach: Everything done by hand and in small batches — crushing, fermentation, distilling, and bottling, with no automated systems
• The spirits: Francesca Grappa (traditional Trieste-style, French-oak rested), FJW Solera-method American whiskey, 100% corn premium vodka, bourbon, and brandy
• Tasting room: Open Fridays and Saturdays for tastings and cocktails made with house-produced mixers — check ahead for current hours
• Good to know: The Grappa and Solera-aged whiskey are both uncommon in North Carolina; local food shows up occasionally (check their social media)
• Best for: Spirits enthusiasts, grappa and whiskey fans, lovers of old-world craft, and anyone exploring the Madison Social District
• Pair with: The full Madison food and beverage scene; a meal at Bob’s Restaurant & Catering or a glass at Dragon Glass Winery; Madison Dry Goods and Country Store in the historic downtown; or more of Rockingham County

A Madison Highlight

GIA Distillery is one of those places that shouldn’t quite make sense on paper — a Sicilian winemaker and an Asheville homebrewer, hand-distilling Italian grappa in a 125-year-old North Carolina train station — and yet it works beautifully. It’s the product of two people with decades of old-world experience doing things the slow, traditional way, and you can taste that intention in every bottle.

The Grappa is the reason to make the trip. It’s a spirit you rarely see produced anywhere in North Carolina, made here the authentic Trieste way with whole grapes and French oak. Pair it with the Solera-aged whiskey — another unusual thing to find in these parts — and you’ve got a tasting flight unlike any other in the region.

Come on a Friday or Saturday, settle into the old depot, and let the founders walk you through what they’ve made. Between the history in the building, the craft in the bottles, and the easy appeal of the Madison Social District just outside the door, GIA is one of the most distinctive stops in all of Rockingham County.

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Resources

GIA Distillery Website

GIA Distillery Facebook

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Location

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Social Media

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