QWS_CraftSpiritsBook Interactive

Brandy

CONVIDADO DE BACO JEREZ, SPAIN Solera Brandy de Jerez #30135332 / 750ml Crafted by one of the largest and oldest Sherry and Brandy producers from the Jerez region of Spain. Specially selected wines have been distilled, blended and aged in American Oak casks using the traditional Solera method to create this wellbalanced brandy with a delicate bouquet, and a smooth, long-lasting aftertaste. 92pts “Best Buy” Beverage Testing Institute VECCHIA ROMAGNA EMILIA-ROMAGNA, ITALY Etichetta Nera Brandy #30134690 / 750ml Despite being from Italy, Vecchia Romagna Brandy is more like Cognac than it is Grappa. It’s been aged in oak for at least three years before being bottled. The main grape used to craft Vecchia Romagna Brandy is Trebbiano. If you like brandy, we recommend giving it a try. It’s rare to find one this good at such a fair price. 95pts “Top 50 Spirits” 2014, Wine Enthusiast 10YO Riserva #30134691 / 750ml “Rivaling fine French brandies of similar age (10 years), this riserva is scented with honey and dates. On the palate, complex flavors run to dried fruit, baking spice and caramel.” 95pts “Top 50 Spirits” 2014, Wine Enthusiast

You’ve seen them—letters like V.S., A.C., X.O. (where it does not mean “Hug, full stop, Kiss, full stop”). So what does it all mean? Before you try to rearrange the letters like some kind of Sunday jumble, just remember this: all the letters on any bottle of Cognac or Armagnac you’ll see refer to one thing: aging. V.O. (Very Old): Meaning the whole thing’s been aged a minimum of 4 years. V.S. (Very Special): AKA “three stars,” means the youngest Cognac or Armagnac in the blend must be a minimum 2 years old. V.S.O.P. (Very Special/Superior Old Pale): Means the youngest Cognac in the blend must be at least 4 years old or, for Armagnac, 5 years old (though often it’s much older); “old pale” refers to caramel coloring, which can be used to color- correct, but in “Old Pale” should be omitted. Napoleon: Apparently a favorite of Napoleon, otherwise it just designated a Cognac that’s 4 years old or an Armagnac that’s at least 6 years old. X.O. (Extra Old): It’s fun that X.O. actually just means “extra old,” because that just seems like some straight-up street terminology.The“extra”here means at least 6 years old, though starting in April 2016 the new minimum will be 10 years old. (See, it’s a bit confusing.) VSO P : A guide to the brandy alphabet

Varietal: If and when a Cognac or Armagnac is made with just one grape, it may be named after that grape varietal or include the varietal on the label. Vintage: Much more common in Armagnac, when a particular year’s harvest is all that’s gone into the bottle. Cognacs are muchmore often blended, hence all the different terminology to indicate the age of the youngest eau de vie in the bottle. Vintage Armagnacs carry a hefty price tag. Hors d’Age (“Of the Ages”): Literally a way to say “this Cognac is so old, it’d be impolite to ask.” Fair warning, Cognac and Armagnac can lose their lustre after too much aging (some say around 35 years, but Tres Vieille Cognac can be 50 years old), so do some research before any big purchases. Cru: Not a statement of age, but place, basically the growing region, which you’ll see more often on Cognac (which has six official growing regions).

Kindred Spirits: When it comes to brandies, nothing competes with France’s amber trio; Cognac, Armagnac and Calvados, each a pure product of its own terroir.

Calvados

F R A N C E

Cognac

Armagnac

Cognac comes from a sector of chalky soil near the town it’s named for, in the Charentes region north of Bordeaux. Armagnac’s territory lies south of the Garonne river in the Midi-Pyrénées region once known as Gascony, of Musketeer fame.Made with white wine from three areas—in ascending order of excellence, Haut-Armagnac, Ténarèze and Bas Armagnac Apple orchards replace vineyards in Normandy, where calvados , familiarly called calva, was named after one of the departments in which it’s made—double-distilled from apple mash fermented with yeast. First recorded in the 16th century, calva is the basis of the trou Normand, the pause during a hearty meal for a nip —FRANCETODAY.COM

— VINEPAIR.COM

4

CRAFT SPIRITS PORTFOLIO