Volcanic Wine Awards | The Jancis Robinson Story | Mission Blind Tasting | 🎁 20% off annual memberships

All about brandy – in 1999

Cognac pot still

A recent post in our Members' forum (13 years after the last one in the thread!) reminded me that I promised to publish here all the entries on grape-based spirits that we had to drop from the second edition of the Oxford Companion to Wine to make way for all the new wine entries we wanted to add to the third edition. I needed to be reminded of that promise and it gives me great pleasure to honour it – albeit 13 years too late.

The entries below were written for the second edition, published in 1999, by the late Nicholas Faith ('N.F.')...

Become a member or log in to continue reading
25th

For the dad who loves wine

Start your membership this Father’s Day with 20% off a full year. Expert reviews, honest writing, no guesswork. Or, gift a membership and save 20%.

Enter code DAD20 at checkout. Offer ends 22 June.

Member
$135
/year
Save over 15% annually
Ideal for wine enthusiasts
  • Access 295,300 wine reviews & 16,095 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
Inner Circle
$249
/year
 
Ideal for collectors

Everything in “Member”, plus:

  • Early access to the latest wine reviews, 48 hours in advance
  • Early access to the latest articles, 48 hours in advance
Professional
$299
/year
For individual wine professionals
  • Access 295,300 wine reviews & 16,095 articles
  • Access The Oxford Companion to Wine & The World Atlas of Wine
  • Access askJancis, our AI wine assistant
  • Early access to the latest wine reviews & articles, 48 hours in advance
  • Commercial use of up to 25 wine reviews & scores for marketing
Business
$399
/year
For companies in the wine trade

Everything in “Professional”, plus:

  • Commercial use of up to 250 wine reviews & scores for marketing
  • Access to submit wines for review
  • Offer memberships to your employees and manage them from a single place
  • API access available for an additional fee
Pay with
Visa logo Mastercard logo American Express logo Logo for more payment options
Join our newsletter

Get the latest from Jancis and her team of leading wine experts.

By subscribing you agree with our Privacy Policy and provide consent to receive updates from our company.

More Drinks not wine

Jota Tanaka at Gotemba distillery
Drinks not wine An exploration of the transparency of Japanese whisky – and how that sensibility is influencing whiskey-making back in Scotland. Above...
incense burning in a Japanese temple
Drinks not wine The magic of mizunara-aged whisky – and the patience it requires to realise it. ‘This is very special’, Seiichi Koshimizu...
Heather Tillott of Sullivan's Cove
Drinks not wine A wine-first approach is opening up a new whisky world. Above, Heather Tillott, distillery manager at Tasmania’s Sullivans Cove. I...
Isle of Raasay by Christina Kernohan
Drinks not wine Head to the Hebrides to take in a raft of new distillers working to bring life and traditions back to...

More from JancisRobinson.com

Institute of Masters of Wine logo
Free for all These are the questions posed to those striving for what the IMW describes as ‘ the wine world’s most challenging...
A castle in the Espera vineyards
Tasting articles A tour of this underappreciated and sometimes misrepresented Portuguese wine region. Today, we cover the northern half – Encostas d’Aire...
Azenhas do Mar, Portugal
Inside information The wines of this Portuguese region are emerging from the shadows of their history. Above, Azenhas do Mar in Colares...
Wild menu - yellow background
Free for all Carefully cultivated wildness in the Home Counties. And an unmissable wine list. Farm to fish to fork to frying pan...
Chenin Blanxc vineyard in South Africa
Free for all Jancis makes a suggestion. A version of this article is also published by the Financial Times. See also South Africa’s...
Glass of rose with food
Tasting articles Rosés for every occasion, from poolside pinks to robust BBQ-ready versions. We at JancisRobinson.com view the world through rose-tinted spectacles...
A bottle of Moreau Naudet Chablis
Wines of the week A reference Chablis, albeit in a riper style, available from $39.95, £31.95 . Prompted by our recent forum discussion about...
Tertius Boshoff of Stellenrust shows off multiple Chenins in London
Tasting articles The many Cape Chenins and Chenin blends shown at a big South African tasting in London in May reviewed. Tertius...
Wine inspiration delivered directly to your inbox, weekly
Our weekly newsletter is free for all
By subscribing you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.