California Brandy House: A Truly Unique Tasting Experience in Napa
Opening in 2020 in the heart of the pandemic, California Brandy House in downtown Napa, California, slipped into town somewhat quietly, but as it celebrates its first year, it has become established as a unique draw to visitors.
In a town that is crowded with more than 20 wine tasting rooms, it stands out but fits in, with products derived from the same wine grapes featured in neighboring spaces—but distilled into a different form. Billing itself as “the first stand-alone tasting room dedicated solely to luxury California brandies,” CBH showcases Argonaut and Germain-Robin, the two major brands within the tiny luxury spirits division of parent company E. & J. Gallo.
At its parklet in front of the building and (as Covid allows) inside its airy, modern tasting room, The Brandy House offers several different guided tastings ($25/35) by appointment or to walk-ins. These can include sampling unblended, single-barrel brandies alongside the finished products, offering insight into the interplay between grape varieties and aging in the distillation process.
California Brandy
California brandies differ from more traditional European spirits because the distillers are not constrained by appellation rules and traditions that apply in areas such as Cognac. “Here, we can make it from any grape,” said Damon Boelte, Gallo’s Experiential Specialist. “We can bring in different elements. We can have fun with all the different grapes.” For example, although brandy has traditionally been distilled from white wine grapes, he noted that Germain-Robin depends heavily on pinot noir.
The history of brandy in California dates back hundreds of years to the Missions that first brought grapes to the state. Brandy also figured prominently in the saloons of the Gold Rush era. Before the modern era of fine winemaking, much of the pre-Prohibition grape harvest found its way into distilled spirits. Prohibition took its toll but, as with wine, California brandy has been surging into prominence. With this tasting room and its luxury brands, Gallo is hoping to position California brandy among the world’s best.
Germain-Robin & Argonaut Brandy
Its flagship brand, Germain-Robin, is leading the way. Established in 1983, it was one of the pioneers of the craft distilling movement and has consistently garnered praise and awards. It was acquired by Gallo in 2017 and is now made under the supervision of Gallo’s lead distiller David Warter, but one of the founding partners is still involved with production and it remains the same premium product.
Gallo’s other major brand, Argonaut, references Gold Rush history on its labels and also reflects history inside the bottle. Julio Gallo began distilling from excess grapes as early as 1979 and the Gallo family has been building a library of premium brandy since then, experimenting with barrels, varieties, ages and distillation techniques. Some of the older, aged distillations find their way into the blend. Argonaut is also unique in listing on its back labels the percentage and varieties of grapes used, the method of distillation and the years each varietal was aged, offering another layer of education with every sip.
Bottle Shop & More
In addition to tastings, California Brandy is a bottle shop selling the seven brandies in their portfolio (including a Germain-Robin single barrel pinot noir available only at the tasting room) as well as cocktail kits ($85) with all the ingredients for mixing up classic cocktails at home. The Old Fashioned kit, for example, contains Argonaut Fat Thumb brandy, cherries, simple syrup and Angostura bitters. They are popular as gifts and the tasting room manager suggested they would be a great alternative to bringing hosts a bottle of wine, turning any gathering into a party. Personalized bottle etching is also available.
California Brandy House is part of First Street Napa, a three-block collection of 45 shops, restaurants, tasting rooms, wine bars and offices adjacent to the Archer Hotel in the center of downtown Napa. 1300 First Street, Napa, California 707-732-1200.