3 minute read
That’s the Spirit - The California Brandy House
Rethinking Grapes California Brandy House
By Jill Dutton
MENTION NAPA, CALIFORNIA, and most
people think of wine, specifically California’s worldclass vineyards and winemakers. Britt West, vice president and general manager of Gallo Spirits, a division of E. & J. Gallo Winery created the California Brandy House to shift that narrative.
California brandies, like Germain-Robin and Argonaut, are crafted from world-class white and red grape varieties exclusively grown on California soil. So, what better place to open the brandy house than in Napa Valley, the heart of wine country, to reestablish California brandy among the world's bestdistilled spirits.
The California Brandy House opened in November 2020 in Downtown Napa as a first-of-its-kind tasting room dedicated solely to trade and consumer entertainment and education.
The inspiration for the house comes from the countless wine tasting rooms in Napa. West says, “As many wines have their vineyards, our brandy has the California Brandy House. We saw a real need for education around the category. The unique space and design aspect of the Brandy House play a pivotal role in telling the story behind the brandy itself with the display of our Coffey and alembic pot stills as well as our history wall.
“Our California brandies are deeply rooted in tradition and innovation, and we created this space to enhance the brandy tasting experience as well as showcase the history, innovation, quality, and craftsmanship behind our brandies.”
THE BRANDY EXPERIENCE
With a tasting room and a bottle shop, The California Brandy House has much to offer. Guests can discover the California brandies and their history through guided flight tastings with exclusive offerings and single-barrel samples not available anywhere else. Guests can also purchase full bottles with onsite personal engraving as well as select brandy house merchandise and cocktail kits so brandy imbibers can still mix up delicious cocktails from the comfort of their own home. However, what brings the space to life is the extremely passionate staff who will walk you through the nuances of the category and each expression for a tasting experience unlike any other.
BRANDS
The California Brandy House is home to its twoleading portfolios, Argonaut and Germain-Robin, where guests can enjoy tasting flights of each portfolio in its entirety as well as limited offerings and single barrel releases that are not available anywhere else.
“Brandy can be distilled from a large variety of fruit options, but what sets our brandies apart from others is that they are made with 100 percent California wine grapes. Germain-Robin was the first brandy distilled from non-traditional varietals like Pinot Noir, Riesling, Viognier, and Semillon. For Argonaut, we are one of the few brandy makers that also own and manage the production process from start to finish. We are the grape grower, the winemaker, the distiller, and lead blender,” notes West. “This allows us to control every process, ensuring the highest quality in each bottle.”
For bartenders, West says, “We want California Brandy to rank amongst other leading spirits categories in their minds. While it may not be as widely known as other categories, it is not lacking in historical relevance or category nuance. Though it is seen today as an up-and-coming trend in brown spirits, brandy played a pivotal role in California drinks history. From the time of missionary Franciscan monks using wine country grapes to craft California's first brandies to the exceptional brandies of today. For those looking to get into the category today, we also want to emphasize the versatility of California Brandy. Not only is the spirit enjoyed straight (the recommended serve for Germain-Robin), but it can also be enjoyed in a variety of classic cocktails with Argonaut that highlight the fruit flavors found within.”
