A relative who lives in New Zealand came back to the States for the holidays. He has been making Vodka in NZ and wants to make Brandy.
He asked me "What is the best type of wine for making Brandy?"
Other than telling him to use a wine he made rather than one he purchased, I don't know. Does anyone know?
Dick
AFAIK, the starting point are usually pretty neutral, acidic white varieties - the main one in Cognac, for example, is Ugni Blanc aka Trebbiano in Italy. These are cheap too so that works well for home winemakers. I am not sure if he can get something similar in NZ though. In any case, it doesn't really matter that much because no matter what he starts with, he'll have a grape spirit after distillation, so closer to vodka than brandy. His main issue is getting the colour and flavour
- these mostly come from oak aging and added flavourings like caramel, not from the grapes. Basically, the problem is converting grappa into brandy.
Pp
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