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EDITORIAL
– PHILIPPE GAILLARD –
Editorial Director
CAPE BRANDY – THE IMPRESSIVE SPIRIT OF SOUTH AFRICA
Are you not familiar with Cape brandies? That’s surprising considering they
date back to 1672 when they were first created on board a Dutch ship moored
off Cape Town. Like Cognac, Cape brandy – or brandewijn, literally meaning
burnt wine – was also developed by Dutch merchants. Thanks to campaigning
by the Cape Brandy Distillers Guild, established five years ago, the name Cape
brandy, more commercially appealing than potstill brandy, became an official
designation last August, even though it still only represents 5% of total brandy
production in South Africa.
As in Cognac, where the market is mostly dominated by Martell, Hennessy,
Rémy Martin and Courvoisier, production of Cape brandy is primarily cornered
by two leading players – Distell and KWV. More recently, they have been joined
by a third ‘accomplice’, Oude Molen, which not only produces its own brandies
but also owns other independent distilleries.
Also like Cognac, Cape brandies like a challenge and enter competitions
hosted across the globe in huge numbers. One such example is the Gilbert &
Gaillard International Challenge – see page 115 – where they have been pretty
successful. They have also garnered 16 victories in 20 years at the prestigious
Worldwide Brandy Trophy competition.
These common features are really no accident – they demonstrate the vitality of
the industry and its constant desire to excel, so that it can step out of Cognac’s
shadow.
AUTUMN 2021 GILBERT & GAILLARD - THE FRENCH EXPERTS ON WINE 5