It all starts with the elements: the soil, crisp air and pure winter rains combine magically to give us grapes. Careful fermentation transforms this grape juice into a crisp, fruity wine.

Exacting distillation turns the wine into a harmonious and flavourful spirit. And in the tranquil darkness of the cellar, where time does not hurry, maturation adds colour and extraordinary complexity to yield a distinguished brandy. Finally, the master blender's unique art creates a brandy of distinctive character and exceptional quality. It is a remarkable, rewarding journey. And it all starts with a simple, beautiful fruit.

GRAPE SELECTION AND WINEMAKING

Brandy is unique in many ways. The main reason being that it is the only drink made from another alcoholic beverage, namely, wine. Hence the formal definition of brandy: "Brandy is the distillate of the fermented juice of fresh grapes without the admixture of any other spirits."

Governor Lord Charles Somerset once said, "Good brandy can be made only from good wine, good wine only from good grapes."

The grapes used for brandy production originate mainly from the following regions: Worcester, Olifants River, Orange River, Breede River (Robertson, south of Worcester) and Klein (Little) Karoo. These are all warm grape-producing areas with predominantly fertile, alluvial soils. Healthy, suitably ripened grapes are picked early in the harvesting season to retain as much acidity as possible, making for crisp, fruity flavours.

WOOD MATURATION

Maturation is a natural miracle between brandy, wood and air over time that not even modern science can fully explain. French oak casks are the vessels of choice for brandy maturation in South Africa. Legally, the oak casks used for the first three years of maturation may not be larger than 340 litres.

Wood is porous by nature. The reason for using French oak is that South African trees grow too fast and therefore are too porous, hence the casks would leak and not be able to hold the brandy to substantially mature it. Alcohol is a very volatile substance, so during the maturation process, a portion of the alcohol evaporates through the oak wood. Every year, approximately nine litres or 3% of the volume inside the barrel is lost to evaporation, which amounts to approximately 36 bottles over the minimum three years maturation time. The old folktale refers to this loss as the 'Angels' Share' as payment for working their magic in the barrels.

During wood maturation, the clear spirit obtains its characteristic amber colour. A number of flavoured compounds are also extracted from the wood. These impart a rich complexity of a sweet yet spicy character to the brandy.

BLENDING

The true skill of the brandy master comes to the fore in the degree of maturation of distillates and in the choice of the components for blending. Each blend is made according to a unique recipe, a carefully guarded secret that contributes, to a large extent, to the success and value of each brandy trademark.

When the distillate (heart fraction) is at least three years old, it is pumped from the vats, assessed and classified according to fullness, balance, softness of taste and intensity of colour. These criteria determine what type of brandy the matured distillate will be used for.

The brandy master has a fairly wide variety of matured distillates that he may blend to create varying tastes and styles. The brandy master can choose from various grape varieties, wooden barrels of varying ages, oak cask toasting levels and maturation periods. He is able to create a brandy for a specific part of the market or with a particularly unique flavour and mixing qualities.