History
Being unable to drink the already famous wines to be found in the Jerez region for religious reasons, the Moors opted to distil them in order to obtain “alcohol” not only to make perfumes but also for antiseptic and medicinal use. It is not easy to state the exact date upon which wine spirits began to be aged in oak-wood casks in order to produce brandy. What is clear is that in the sixteenth century there must have been an important amount of wine spirit being produced, as is illustrated by the existence of a document which makes reference to the fact that in 1580 the Town Council of Jerez handed over the revenue from the Wine Spirit Tax (a municipal tax levied on the production of wine spirit) for the construction of a Jesuit college.
The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries saw the consolidation in Spain of the production of wine spirit for commercial use destined for exportation, especially to countries in Northern Europe. Holland was the main market and from there shipped on to practically the whole world.
Brandy is an English adaptation of the original Dutch word “brandewijn” (burnt wine) whilst the term holanda (name given to wine spirits of low alcoholic content used in the production of Brandy de Jerez) is obviously derived from the name of the country to which most of the exports were destined: Holland. With these precedents is no surprise that words such as brandy and holandas originate from that country. In any case, it should be remembered that the term 'brandavin' was already in use in picaresque literature of the 17th Century, as can be seen in “The Life and Works of Estebanillo González, man of good humour”. In the early 19th Century English and French merchants began to arrive in Jerez who, together with Spanish traders with clear commercial instincts, promoted trade and laid down the guidelines for the characteristic production and ageing process of Brandy de Jerez.
The creation of brand names for Brandy de Jerez occurred during the 19th Century on the initiative of sherry firms who were pioneers in the sale of brands which still exist today, not only in Spain but in numerous countries throughout the world.
Read more about this topic: Brandy De Jerez
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