BRANDY REVIVAL IN CALIFORNIA: SAVE WHISKY DRINK BRANDY

Save Whisky Drink Brandy

California Brandy is coming back!

I have known it for a long time and it is starting to look like I was right.
Why I anticipated this revival?

When I came to California in 1996 for the first time I was surprised by the concept of 'single grape varietal'. A concept rather foreign to me as I was coming from the traditional blended grape varietals from the local appellation which is the way wines are presented in France. This discovery was later to become my impetus for producing Monteru Single Grape Brandyin 2008.

As I ventured into the wine world in the early 2000s in California and later into the distilled spirits it appeared to me that it was just a matter of time before California would reclaim the brandy category it once had.

===>The evidence were:

• California and its concept of wine and entrepreneurial way of life,
• California single grape varietal wine thriving business,
• Micro-brewery and later Micro-distillation boom,
• Spirits venturing into single ingredients such as Rye, specific type of Potatoes, wheat versus corn and etc. I noticed a real interest for studying the process and original ingredients,
• Regain and later explosion for the Mixology, combined with the search of better ingredients,
• People interests for organic, handmade, farm-to-table, sustainability, ... eventually culminating to local is better than far away things. A concept which is well executed by brands such as Tito's Vodka (starting from Texas) or FEW (starting from Chicago's suburbs) for instance.

All of these factors combined and symbiotically moving have increased my confidence in the return of brandy.

Recent Links:
The definitive guide to California brandy old and new
in San Francisco Gate
By Lou Bustamante, October 22, 2018
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/The-definitive-guide-to-California-brandy-old-and-13323980.php

California brandy is better than ever. Will consumers notice?
in San Francisco Chronicle
By Lou Bustamante, Oct. 20, 2018
https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/California-brandy-is-better-than-ever-Will-13323976.php?fbclid=IwAR0hGYCS3fCwsy_yeChrX7DnTTvlvXvRxCjme1HK_fS35Yg1758euKLyQAU#photo-16334737