How Brandy Styles Evolved Across Continents
Brandy, a diverse spirit born from grapes, boasts a global family tree. From French titans Cognac and Armagnac to fiery South American Pisco and Italian pomace wonder Grappa, each region offers unique styles shaped by history an innovation.
When one thinks of brandy, an image of a crystal snifter gently warmed in the palm of a hand often comes to mind, the amber liquid within swirling as it releases a bouquet of complex aromas. But the world of brandy is as vast and varied as the vineyards from which it originates. Cognac, Brandy de Jerez, pisco, and grappa represent just the tip of the iceberg in a category defined by both its diversity and its shared heritage: the common grape.
Each type of brandy carries with it the terroir of its origin, much like wine. Cognac, perhaps the most renowned, hails from the Cognac region of France. It is a symbol of elegance and sophistication, characterized by its rich, smooth flavor profile, often with notes of dried fruit, spice, and a hint of vanilla from the oak barrels in which it is aged. The meticulous production process involves double distillation in copper pot stills and aging in French oak casks, often for decades.
