For the first time in decades, brandy is returning to the Coonawarra.<\/p>\n
The region was once a major producer of the wine-based liquor, before it dropped out of fashion.<\/p>\n
The idea to bring back brandy to the Coonawarra came from the director of Majella Wines, Brian “Prof” Lynn.<\/p>\n
After contemplating launching a spirit, he thought brandy would be the most natural progression from wine.<\/p>\n
“In the old days, if you had leftover wine, you would distil that and make brandy,” he said.<\/p>\n
Mr Lynn says the process of making brandy reduces waste in the vineyard. (ABC South East SA: Elsie Adamo)<\/p>\n
It has so far been a straightforward addition for the business, requiring only a distillation still in addition to their existing wine, rainwater and wooden ageing barrels.<\/p>\n
Mr Lynn has found the distilling process to be quick, only taking about six hours.<\/p>\n
But the ageing process is slow, with all brandy legally required to be aged for two years in a wooden cask.<\/p>\n
“There is a lot of patience involved,” Mr Lynn said.Historic connections<\/p>\n
Despite the strong historic origins of brandy in the region, Majella’s release is the first to include the region on the labelling.<\/p>\n
In the early 1900s, tastes were changing and demand for dry reds dwindled. The brandy produced with the surplus grapes would eventually become generically branded brandy.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Arthur Hoffmann’s Wynns Coonawarra Estate logbook for making wine and brandy. (ABC South East SA: Elsie Adamo)<\/p>\n
“You couldn’t sell the wine \u2014 no-one wanted to drink dry red wine back then \u2026 so it was decided to convert all that wine into brandy,” Mr Lynn said.<\/p>\n
But as other wine varieties grew in popularity, Coonawarra’s brandy production declined and eventually stopped in the late 20th century.<\/p>\n
Much of the knowledge about Coonawarra brandy has been lost through the decades, but there are some in the region still with connections to the liquor.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Diana Clayfield’s family has strong historic ties to the Coonawarra wine industry. (ABC South East SA: Elsie Adamo)<\/p>\n
Coonawarra resident Diana Clayfield’s father, Arthur Hoffmann, was a viticulturalist, wine and brandy maker in the region.<\/p>\n
“He enjoyed doing it [making brandy],” she said.<\/p>\n
“It’s nice to see it back in the Coonawarra.”<\/p>\n
Ms Clayfield remembers the generation before her enjoying a brandy, and sometimes even using it for medicinal purposes.<\/p>\n
“If you had a flu, they warmed brandy and wine up together and had it as a medicine,” she said.<\/p>\n
‘Cure-all’ brandy<\/p>\n
It was this connection with medicine that helped brandy to become so popular, with production peaking in the 1960s.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
To be labelled brandy, the distilled spirit is required to be aged two years in wooden casks.\u00a0 (ABC South East SA: Elsie Adamo)<\/p>\n