Villa Spain - Property Magazin for the Costa del Sol

 

Villa España ­ Brandy, a drink for heroes

On Spanish labels one can read:

Solera (older than six months)
Solera Reserva (older than twelve months)
Solera Gran Reserva (aged at least three years)

Brandy Facts

The older the brandy, the darker the colour and of course a more refined taste and body goes with it.
More brandy is produced in Spain than in any other European country and about 95% of Spanish brandy comes from the area around Jerez de la Frontera. This brandy has a protected certificate of origin (Denominación de Origen) and is exported to more than 68 countries all over the world.

The length of all the bottles of brandy yearly produced in Jerez, is equivalent to nearly eight times the circumference of our planet and the area needed to produce the grapes for the brandy production, is the size of 120,000 soccer pitches.

In the fiscal year of 2003 the brandy produced in Jerez contributed 138 million euros to the coffers of the Spanish Inland Revenue.

The definition of Brandy

By the way, if you want to impress your friends, Spanish brandy according to Spanish regulations (Real Decreto 2484/74) is defined: as a complex spirituous beverage, issued from wine distillates, and matured in oak casks at the adequate environmental conditions for a suitable period of time in order to achieve the organoleptic features peculiar to the elaboration process.

The Makers

In Spain the production and export of brandy is an international business and through the years, many Europeans were involved in the making and selling of Spanish brandies as the follwing list shows us.

González Byass
Manuel González founded his company in 1835, when, a few years later, his British agent Robert Blake became his partner, González Byass was born. The name Soberano (their best known brand) was selected due to the excellent relations between the González family and the Spanish sovereign (soberano).

Osborne
Osborne dates from the end of the 18th century when a young English businessman, Thomas Osborne Mann, from Exeter, settled in Cádiz and founded the Osborne company in 1772.

Williams & Humbert
Williams & Humbert dates back to 1877 when Alexander Williams entered his father-in-law’s wine business. The main branch was in London but the family also owned bodegas in Jerez de la Frontera.

Pedro Domecq
The house of Pedro Domecq was founded in 1730 when an enterprising French aristocrat came to the fertile Jerez region. Descendants of the Domecq family are still running the company today.

Bodegas Terry
The Terry family came from Ireland and in the 1850s they founded Bodegas Terry.

How to drink Brandy
Top brandies should be drunk, undiluted, out of a snifter and do not need to be heated over a candle. The warmth of the hand is enough to release the bouquet.

Anyway, let this not prevent you from enjoying the Spanish tradition of rounding off a good meal with a carajillo, coffee laced with brandy.

Jargonese

Finally, for the aspiring connoisseur, a few terms that immediately put you in the right bracket:
Plumy richness / lots of character / a good grapey nose / nutty / elegant / floral / an intriguing little brandy with an air of romance.

Last but not least:

A daily nip of brandy is good for your heart and never forget……The definition of an alcoholic is; someone who drinks more than his doctor.

Author: Berry J Prinsen.

 

Contents