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Founded 1982, Ukiah, California, United States Headquarters Ukiah, California, United States Founders Ansley J. Coale, Hubert Germain-Robin | ||
Assembling germain robin xo
Germain-Robin, based in Ukiah, California, is a maker of brandy.
Contents
Anatomy of a still germain robin
History
The distillery was founded in 1982 by Ansley J. Coale, a local rancher, and Hubert Germain-Robin, a native of Cognac, France.
Coale, a former Berkeley professor of ancient history, had bought 2,000 acres (809 ha) of farmland outside of Ukiah, named Eagle Ridge Ranch, in 1973. By chance, one day in 1981 he picked up Germain-Robin, who was hitchhiking throughout California in search of a location to make brandy. Germain-Robin came from a family that had been making cognac under the name Jules Robin & Company, but had recently sold the business to Martell, prompting Germain-Robin to leave.
Ronald Reagan was an aficionado of Germain-Robin brandies and reserved a number of barrels for the White House, which he served as a matter of national pride to visiting dignitaries such as Mikhail Gorbachev and François Mitterrand. The brandy was also served at Bill Clinton's inaugural ball
One innovation is that in Cognac, brandy is made mostly of the Ugni blanc grape (known in Italy as Trebbiano), which in the region makes a juice unsuitable for drinking as a wine. By contrast Germain-Robin used, and continues to use, high-quality wine grapes. Initially it used locally produced Pinot noir, and it continues to use exclusively Mendocino County grapes, generally Colombard and Semillon, as well as some Zinfandel and Viognier. Another innovation is that rather than blending the wine, Germain-Robin produces single-varietal and single-vineyard brandies.
In 2006 Germain-Robin left the company that bears his name to become an independent consultant
Products
Germain-Robin brandy, which is called by some the best in the world, is produced in very small quantities, 3,000 cases per year as of 2005. Sales are low due to poor name recognition, high price of up to $350 per bottle, and the tendency of restaurant patrons to buy well-known mass-market brands from France.
Particularly in recent years, the distillery has been experimenting with grappa, eau de vie, liqueur, and other liquors.
Coale is also a participant in Hangar One Vodka, an artisan vodka made in Alameda, California by St. George Spirits.