1868 The complete Practical Distiller

FRENCH PROCESS OF DISTILLING BRANDY.

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FPvENCH PROCESS OF DISTILLINQ AND PREPARING BRANDY. This process differs in nothing from the ordinary pro- cess practiced in England and this country, in the same manner as from malt-wash or molasses. The French only observe, more particularly, to throw a little of the natural lees into the still along with the wine, because they find this gives their spirit the flavour for which it is so much admired But though brandy is extracted from wine, ex- perience tells us that there is great difference in the grapes from which the wine is made. Every soil, every climate, every kind of grapes vary with regard to the quality or others for drying, as those of Damascus, Corinth, Provence, and Avignon, but not fit to make wine. Some wines are proper for dis- tillation, others less so. Those of Languedoc and Pro- vence afford a great deal of brandy by distillation, when the operation is made in their full strength ; the Orleans wine and those of Blois afford still more. The best wines are those of Cognac and Audaye, which, .however, are among those that are least drunk in France; whereas those of Burgundy and Champagne, though of a very fine flavour, yield but very little in distillation. It may also be further observed, that all the wines for distillation, as those of Spain, the Canaries, of Alicant, Cyprus, St. Peres, Toquet, Graves, Hungary, and others, yield very little brandy by distillation, and consequently would cost the distiller considerably more than he could quantity of spirits extracted from them. Some grapes are only fit for eating ;