Brandy

[elsa hoffmann]

Van Ryn's brandy distillery - not for the faint hearted. In the celler you breath 70% alcohol - also known as the Angel's share.
Vat making - takes 45 minutes (machine and hand). A new Vat can be used for up to 50 years.
French Oak only. (unlike our wine - for which they use Hungarian, American and French Oak)

[Akira]

Very intriguing images, Elsa!

So he makes one whole vat only in 45 minutes?  That's amazing craftsmanship!  I don't drink (read: cannot digest) alcohol, so I would faint in there.  Your pictured save me!

[elsa hoffmann]

Thank you Akira
Without using machinery - it takes 7 - 8 hours to make one vat. With the help of machines that do part of the part - cuts down to 45 minute.

The MOST intriguing part is - how the Coopers play a tune when beating the rings down over the wood. It's beautiful to say the least.

[Akira]

Elsa, thanks fro the details.

Good craftspersons have good sense of rhythm which makes their works constant and precise.

[elsa hoffmann]

Apparently they guys compete to see who is done with a Barrel - so when they are done - they play a certain tune with the hammer to let the others know

[rosko]

Interesting to know that European oak wood travels from the North hemisphere to the South one...

Do not local wood suitable for barrels making ?

[Gary]

The first is my fav. I appreciate reading all the details. Quite interesting.

@ Rosko- The Oak will impart distinct flavorings during the storage/maturation progress of the wine making. Some vintners will heat up the oaks for different flavor others will mix different oaks together, some even mix older oak with newer oak. Barrels are made from Oaks grown around the world, but French and American Oaks are the most used/sought. Generally, French Oak imparts a more subtle and spicy flavor to the wine while American Oak (White Oak) delivers a more cream, coconut, vanilla flavor.  Typically, these flavor so are not very pronounced, they add to the complexity of wines.

[elsa hoffmann]

Jan van Riebeek landed in Cape Town in 1652 to set up a station mainly to supply goods to the passing ships on their way to the East (Spice Route).
Vineyards followed very soon and so did Oak trees - for the wines. But South African Oak is too porous - hence the import of oak from abroad for this purpose. The town of Stellenbosch is riddled with oaks. and it is fondly referred to as the Oak city.

Typically the big wine cellers use a barrel (vat) for 4 years - then sell them off to smaller guys who make wine (usually guys who don't own vineyards - only make wine). By then the Oak has lost it's flavour as Gary said - and thats when they get creative with the wine they make. Blends and the like. These second hand guys can use a barrel for about 6 years - unlike the Brandy barrels that are used for 50.

Interesting that Brandy evaporates a lot - (the evaporation is called the Angel's share) and over 20 years - a barrel looses about 50% of it's contents, making 20 year old Brandy rather expensive.

[Peter Connan]

Beautiful and very interesting Elsa!

I would love to see a good cooper working.

[rosko]

Thanks Elsa and Gary for your explanations.

I would add that some french (red) wine require new oak barrel) in which they are stored a certain amount of years before bottled. This process gives a ''woody'' flavor to the wine. The barrels (fùts in French) are of course reused afterward for different wines.

Interesting that Brandy evaporates a lot - (the evaporation is called the Angel's share) and over 20 years - a barrel looses about 50% of it's contents, making 20 year old Brandy rather expensive.

Very true ! French makers do the same. That's why the old ''Cognac'' and ''Armagnac'' are so expensive too.

Cognac=Brandy

[elsa hoffmann]

Peter - the tours are really inexpensive - I will gladly take you if you want to go look see. I wont mind going back myself.

Rosko - we also have Cognac - but may not call it that as your French Cognac comes from the Cognac region if I am not mistaken - same with Champagne - we have to call it Sparkling wine. Interesting also that we have an additional tax on Sparkling wine (because it is carbonated) so it can easily be taxed 4 times as much as other wines. The same tax (called sugar tax) has just been added to carbonated soft drinks here in SA.

SA (Van Ryn's distillery) produces international award winning Brandy. The most sought after one is in a hand crafted carafe - and you have to apply to order it. Obviously no price is listed anywhere  

[Akira]

Just went to Van Ryn's website.  Before you enter the site, you have to select your country and enter your date of birth.  If you are not legally allowed to drink alcohol in the country you belong to, you cannot enter!

I wonder how much their AU・RA (30-year-old brandy) would cost...

[elsa hoffmann]

Akira - hahaha I wonder myself...
I want to go do a Brandy tasting myself still. As a Guide I am not allowed to drink while working - and they are not allowed to give me alcohol either when I am working. Damn shame. But they will give me coffee or juice.
Drinking age in SA is 18.

[rosko]

Rosko - we also have Cognac - but may not call it that as your French Cognac comes from the Cognac region if I am not mistaken - same with Champagne -

French areas of production are very protected, indeed. Mostly wines, alcools, and cheeses.

However you can find ''Somerset Brie'' or ''Cornish Brie'' sold in UK...

Champagne is the most protected appellation, and some winemakers out of Champagne area but close to the limits are fighting hard to get Champagne appellation, as it's a huge stake : the wine maker inside the limits gets rich, the one outside the limits stays poor, even if his ''vin mousseux'' (sparkling white wine) is better...

Not fair !

[Frank Fremerey]

The first one is very nicely craftet geometrically, carries wonderful tones and an interesting color contrast PLUS: the scenme and time and timing is just perfect