The Breeze February 2015

Breeze Wine Within Reach
created an international market, as early as, the
15th Century. The English coveted the wines and
the Dutch craved Cognac (probably because of
their miserable weather), so much so, that they
called it “brandwijn”. With a new name and an
export market assured, Cognac grew in reputation
over hundreds of years, but is it that special? The
short answer is no, particularly when compared
with the lesser-known Armagnac.
“It makes disappear redness and burning of
the eyes and stops them from tearing; it cures
hepatitis, sober consumption adhering. It cures
gout, cankers and fistula by ingestion; restores
the paralysed member by massage; and heals
wounds of the skin by application. It enlivens the
spirit, partaken in moderation, recalls the past to
memory,rendersmenjoyous,preservesyouthand
retards senility. And when retained in the mouth,
it loosens the tongue and emboldens the wit, if
someone timid from time to time himself permits.
Cardinal Vital du Four, 1313
should be appreciated slowly (ie. don’t stick your
nose in the glass!). Usually, older spirits have more
subdued esters and are less harsh on the palate,
but this is very difficult to achieve because of the
core alcohol content of 40%. Only a handful of
cognacs are truly balanced and I would definitely
avoid any VS Cognac. The same does not apply to
Armagnacs, because I have tried several VS labels,
which are more satisfying than a VSOP Cognac
and are much cheaper. However, if your heart is
set on Cognac, stick with Remy Martin VSOP or
Courvoisier Fine VSOP ($55)
Grappa is in a class of spirits, which are truly
eco-friendly, because they are made from
pumace, the leftovers from winemaking. After
the grapes have been pressed, and allowed to
sit (cold maceration) for about two weeks, the
juice is extracted for wine and the remains such
as seeds, stems and skins are collected to make
grappa. It is distilled and unlike other brandies,
is then aged in the bottle. Grappa is not a refined
spirit, in the sense that it does not display the
aromas from grapes, or other fruit eaux de vie
(cherries, pear, plum etc.), nor is it rounded
and mellowed by barrel-aging. As a result,
grappa is unquestionably more harsh than
other brandies, but that is the very reason for its
popularity. In Italy, Grappa is a digestif, a drink
intended to cap off the evening and is usually
served with a ristretto (super strong expresso).
This combination is what made Grappa famous
and is not to be missed. Good Grappa is hard
to come by in Bluffton, but I have found, on
occasion, Allegrini Grappa di Amarone ($30).
Cognac is made primarily from Ugni blanc, Folle
Blanche and Colombard (same as Armagnac),
which is pressed, fermented, distilled
twice (unlike Armagnac) and then
aged in French oak. After two years, a
blending process begins which shapes
the characteristic of the house style
(Remy Martin, Hennessy etc.). Just as
in Scotland with single malts, the age
of a bottle is set by the youngest batch
of spirits, so for example, a VS Cognac
must contain spirits that have been
aged for a minimum of two years while
VSOP is four years and XO is six years.
Good Cognacs and Armagnacs are
extremely aromatic (think toffee,
vanilla and chocolate!), and their esters
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