It Takes A Spirit Of Dedication To Make America's Best

As Francis Korbel did in 1889, we still select superior brandy-making grapes, make the wine, distill the “Grape Brandy Designate,” barrel age the brandy, cut, rectify, filter and bottle it, all at our own facilities in California. We stand alone as the only American brandy maker so dedicated to producing a consistently superior product.

The Ageing Process

Newly distilled brandy is water-white and fiery. Technically, the distillate is referred to as “grape brandy designate”, or “GBD.” Properly speaking, the distillate does not become brandy until it has been aged for at least two years in an oak barrel. The barrel plays a huge part in the development of Korbel brandy, from its fiery beginnings, to the rich and warm final form. The barrel contributes tannins that give the brandy its golden color and slightly oaky aromas and taste. The barrel also contributes vanillin, which is related to vanilla, oak sugars, complex caramel and butterscotch-like characters from the barrel charring. All of these components serve to often and integrate the character of the Korbel young brandy.

Typically, very few new barrels are used for brandy production. A new barrel is simply too strong in the harsher oak characteristics. So, Korbel buys once-used bourbon whiskey barrels from Jack Daniels. The whiskey has by then drawn the harsh characters of the barrel out. We then char the barrel, leaving it prime for the making of our unique Korbel brandy.

Cutting, Rectification and Bottling

After aging for a minimum of two years, the brandy is transferred from the barrels, into a blending tank, which we refer to as a ‘solera’ tank, where the rectification process begins. The goal of rectification is to maintain consistency of color and flavor, and to soften the heat in the brandy. Ideally, the rectifiers are like fining agents in a wine, they are used to polish and finish the brandy, not change its basic character. We typically rectify and bottle brandy in small batches of about 7,000 gallons.

The solera tanks are very helpful because they help us to maintain consistency in the brandy. We never draw these tanks completely empty. Instead, newly produced aged brandy is always being blended in with older brandies already in the solera. This simple, yet costly process plays a very big role in the consistent quality of Korbel brandy.

Unless the brandy is subjected to very extreme light or temperature variation, there is little chance of spoilage or out-of-date product. For all practical purposes, brandy changes very little once it has been bottled. So it is yours to savor at your leisure.

Bottom Line

We do not short-cut the production process. We use good grapes, good barrels, good production processes, and have great people, who care about quality and doing the work. Always have. Always will.