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BRANDY

part of the soil is given over to the production of other farm

produce.

The vines favoured for the production of Brandy are the

Folle Blanche, Saint Emilion and the Colombard, all white

grapes.

The wine that is produced from these grapes is not

particularly good for drinking, e.xcept perhaps locally.

It is fruity, slightly acid, and rather harsh, if anything, and

not altogether pleasant to drink until one acquires taste for

it, but it does make the best Brandy.

The production of the wine is the same as for most

other areas, except that the stalks and pips are not crushed

in the operation of extracting the juice.

The wine is kept in the bams of the vineyards and cared

for up to a period of five years after which it is distilled.

The method of distilling is the pot still method, the

same as was originally used in the first instance for the

production of Brandy, the fires being of wood or charcoal.

It is interesting to note that in the production of spirits

in England, the customs have a lock upon every accessible

part of the machinery used in distilling. Not so with the

French Excise authorities, they merely lock the fire door

when distilling is not in progress, thus they are always

aware when production is to start.

There are three types of distillers :

1. The small farmers who distil their own wines and for

this it is not necessary for them to be licensed.

2. The other farmers who store their wines in a special

stores and become professionals and thus hcensed.

They distil for a firm who are financed by the big

distillers.

3. The large distillers themselves who buy from the

farmers in all districts and distil themselves at their

large distilleries.

Cognac is double distilled. The first distillation is to

produce what is termed a"Brouillis", which is in volume

about,a third of the original bulk of the wine distilled.

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