Brandy is Actually Distilled Wine!

Brandy refers to a wide range of spirits, made mostly from wine grapes but sometimes also from other fruits (e.g., apricot brandy).

The name brandy is a shortened form of brandywine, which an anglicized form of Dutch brandewijn, which means "burnt wine.” And, that’s precisely what brandy is - burnt wine. Well… sort of.

To make brandy, wine is heated in a still until it separates into its components using the distillation process. So, put simply, brandy is really distilled wine.

Like wine and whisky, brandy is often aged in wooden barrels, which increases flavor, complexity and color intensity.

The length of aging and the type of barrel used are both important elements in determining the final quality of the brandy.

Brandy, like some wines, gets even better with age. The designation of the style depends on how long the brandy has been aged.

There are various styles of brandy and they all depend on the aging process:

  • Trois étoiles, Trois pommes, Very Special (VS): Aged at least 2 years

  • Vieux or Reserve: Aged for minimum 3 years

  • V.O., Vieille Reserve, and Very Special Old Pale (VSOP): Aged 4+ years

  • Napoléon, Très Vieille Réserve, Très Vieux, and Extra Old (XO): Aged at least 6 years

  • Hors d’âge: Aged at least 30 years

Behind the Cork™ - Vermut Flores Rosé

Vermut Flores Rosé ($19)

As was noted in a previous blog, vermouth is a wine - a fortified wine. A fortified wine that is infused with a mixture of botanical products including fruits, herbs, spices and roots. After the wine is aromatized and fortified, the Vermouth may be bottled dry, or sweeteners such as sugar may be added to create the sweet style of Vermouth, like this one.

This Basta Spirit Flores Rosé vermouth is from Uruguay and is made from Tannat grapes that are pressed and left in brief contact with the skins to create a rosé which acts as the base wine for the Vermouth.

Flores is a family of vermouth based on Tannat wine. Their Rojo and Rosado varieties are produced from Tannat. Albariño wine is used for the Flores Blanco Vermouth variety.

Vermut Flores Rosé is produced from a combination of twenty-seven (yes, 27!) different botanicals that make up its formula. Among them are Wormwood, Cardamom, Gentian, Quina and Coriander.

It was included as one of the Wine Enthusiast 2022 Top 100 Spirits of the Year as well as receiving a 94-point rating!

Vermut Flores Rosé is a bright and crisp vermouth. You can drink it alone, with a slice of lemon, lime, or orange, with or without olives, with or without tonic water. But, always include a good amount of ice!

Basta Spirits’ Vermut Flores is this week’s Behind the Cork™ Wine of the Week. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this sample at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Media Sample Provided by Basta Spirit who Produces Vermut Flores

Ever Wonder...What is Sherry?

Sherry is an often-misunderstood drink. A lot of people think of it as something used in cooking or something their grand-parents sipped on. But, Sherry is actually a wonderful beverage that’s enjoyed by many, especially Spaniards, who sip the good stuff like a fine Scotch.

True Sherry must come from the Andalucía region in southern Spain. But, many throughout the world try to imitate Sherry and label it as such.

Sherry starts out like a wine but the final product is quite different from a traditional wine. The primary grape used in making Sherry is Palomino - a white grape. Pedro Ximenéz and Moscatel grapes are also used. Like wine, the juice of the grape is fermented. But, after fermentation, the wine is fortified with grape spirits to 17% to 22 % ABV.

Dry Sherry ages under a cap of flor yeast, preventing the wine's contact with oxygen. These wines are usually crisp and refreshing. Other Sherries are aged in contact with air which gives them a nutty, rich flavor.

Some Sherry is then aged in a solera system, where vintages are blended together to ensure the consistency of the final product.

Sherry's flavor ranges from bone dry (very low residual sugar) to syrupy sweet:

Dry Sherry: Made predominately from the Palomino grape:

  • Fino & Manzanilla - Very light in flavor. Can have salty fruit flavors.

  • Amontillado - A bit bolder with nutty flavors.

  • Palo Cortado - This is much richer with roasted flavors of molasses and coffee.

  • Oloroso - This style is intentionally exposed to oxygen during aging resulting its dark appearance and nutty flavors.

Sweet Sherry: Made from Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel grapes:

  • Pedro Ximéniz (PX) - This is the sweetest style with flavors dates and figs.

  • Moscatel - This has sweet caramel flavors.

  • Sweet Sherry: A blend of Oloroso and PX Sherry.

And, it just so happens that International Sherry week is coming up November 8th through 14th, so look for this week’s Behind the Cork™ blog that will feature several really nice Sherry offerings. Cheers!

Ever Wonder? What's the Difference Between Sherry and Port Wine?

I was recently asked about the differences between Sherry and Port. And while they may at first seem similar, they are actually quite different.

Both Sherry and Port are fortified wines meaning that distilled spirits, like brandy, are added to the wine. But that’s where the similarities end. Sherry and Port come from different places, are made with different grapes and are made in different ways.

Sherry comes from the Jerez region of Spain, where the primary grape is Palomino - a white grape. Fortification takes place at the end of fermentation. Most Sherry is then aged in a solera system, where vintages are blended together to ensure the consistency of the final product. Sherry's flavor ranges from bone dry to syrupy sweet. Dry Sherry ages under a cap of flor yeast, preventing the wine's contact with oxygen. These wines are usually crisp and refreshing. Other Sherries are aged in contact with air which gives them a nutty, rich flavor.

Port is produced in the Douro Valley region of northern Portugal, hence the name Port. The primary grapes used in the production of Port are red grapes and include Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa and Tinta Roriz (Tempranillo), but more than 80 varieties are permitted. With Port, fortification takes place midway through fermentation. This kills the yeast which ends fermentation. Being that fermentation was not complete, a bunch of residual sugar, not yet consumed by the yeast, remains in the wine, making it sweet. Styles of Port can be broken down into Ruby or Tawny. Ruby Ports are younger and tend to have more syrupy sweet profiles. Tawny Ports undergo extensive barrel aging which lightens their color and imparts more nutty, caramel, and spice flavors.

So, while both Sherry and Port are fortified wines, they are quite different. Cheers!


Behind the Cork™ - González Byass La Copa Vermouths

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González Byass La Copa Vermouth — Extra Seco & Rojo - ($24.99 each)

While Vermouth can be the perfect addition to any cocktail, these Vermouth offerings from González Byass really shine on their own.

Vermouth, as described in a recent blog, is actually a fortified wine. A highly aromatic fortified wine with botanicals that include herbs, bark, roots, citrus and spices with the Wormwood plant being the classic ingredient.

The González Byass La Copa (meaning the cup) Extra Seco Vermouth is a white extra dry version (28 g/L residual sugar) produced from 100% Palomino grape that is aged for an average of three years in the traditional Solera System of American oak casks. It exhibits a clean and elegant intensity with concentrated citrus aromas along with the bitter touches of Wormwood. It’s an ideal aperitif, served over ice, but can also be blended with soda or used as part of many classic cocktails.

The González Byass La Copa Rojo Vermouth is a red version produced with 75% Palomino grape and 25% Pedro Ximénez grape that is aged for more than eight years in Soleras. With Wormwood again playing a staring role, this Rojo Vermouth also includes botanicals such as clove, orange peel, nutmeg and cinnamon. The resulting bitter-sweet (141 g/L residual sugar) and savory flavors of this Vermouth include classic cola flavors to go along with all the spiciness. It too is an ideal aperitif, served over ice, but can also be blended with soda or used as part of many classic cocktails.

Both of these La Copa Vermouth offerings from González Byass are delicious either on their own or as part of your favorite cocktail. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Samples provided by Rebekah Polster of Donna White Communications