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HISTORY OF BRANDY
The origins of
brandy are unclear, and tied to the development
of
distillation.
Concentrated
alcoholic
beverages were known
in ancient
Greece
and
Rome
and may have a history going back to ancient
Babylon.
Brandy as it is known today, first began to appear
in the 12th century and became generally popular in
the 14th century.
Initially wine was
distilled as a
preservation
method and as a way to make the wine easier for
merchants
to transport. The intent was to add the
water
removed by distillation back to the brandy shortly
before consumption. It was discovered that after
having been stored in
wooden casks,
the resulting product had improved over the original
wine.
ARMAGNAC
Armagnac,
the region of France, has given its name to its
distinctive kind of
brandy or
eau de vie, made of the same grapes as
Cognac and undergoing the same
aging in
oak
barrels, but without double
distillation. Armagnac production is overseen by
a Bureau National Interprofessionel de l'Armagnac (BNIA).
Armagnac is the only
true rival to Cognac for recognition as the finest
producer of brandy in the world. Along with Cognac
and
Jerez in
Spain, it is one of only three officially
demarcated brandy regions in Europe.
Its quantity of production is significantly lower
than that of the Cognac region; for every six
bottles of Armagnac sold around the world there are
one hundred bottles of cognac sold.
Armagnac has been
making brandy for around 200 years longer than
Cognac.
Geography
The Armagnac region lies between the
Adour and
Garonne rivers in the foothills of the
Pyrenees. A part of this historical region is
permitted to grow the grapes that are used in the
manufacture of brandy that may be labelled with the
Armagnac name. This area was officially demarcated
when Armagnac was granted
AOC status in
1936.
The official production area is divided into three
districts which lie in the departements of
Gers,
Landes and
Lot-et-Garonne. These are:
Each of these areas is controlled by separate
appellation regulations. Although the term
bas means "lower" in
French, the best armagnacs are principally
produced in Bas Armagnac.
Production
The region contains 40,000 acres of
grape-producing vines.
The production of Armagnac differs in several ways
from that of Cognac. Armagnac is only distilled once
and at a lower temperature to Cognac, meaning that
the former retains more of the fruit character,
whereas Cognac's second distillation results in
greater balance. Armagnacs are aged for longer
periods than Cognac, though this has little impact
on the grape once it has been distilled. Armagnac is
aged in black oak giving them darker characteristics
than Cognac.
Aging Requirements for Armagnac are
-
Three star — 2 years
-
VS — 3 years
-
VO, VSOP or Reserve ADC — 5 years
-
Extra, XO, Napoleon or Vieille Reserve — 6 years
-
Hors d’Age — 10 years
Grapes
Ten different varieties of
grape are authorised for use in the production
of Armagnac. Of these, four form the principal part:
-
Ugni Blanc
-
Folle Blanche
-
Baco 22A
-
Colombard
The remaining varieties include Jurançon and
Picquepoul.
Producers
The main producers of Armagnac are:
-
Sempe
-
Larressingle
-
De Montal
-
Cerbios
-
B. Gelas
-
Samalens
-
Darroze
-
Laberdolive
-
Marquis de Caussade
Janneau
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