Brandy is made from early grapes in order to achieve higher acid concentration and lower sugar levels. Base wine generally contains smaller amount (up to 20 mg/l) of sulphur than regular wines, as it creates undesired copper(II) sulfate in reaction with copper in the pot stills. The yeast sediment produced during the fermentation may or may not be kept in the wine, depending on the brandy style. Brandy is distilled from the base wine in two phases. In the first, large part of water and solids is removed from the base, obtaining so-called "low wine", basically a concentrated wine with 28–30%
Fine (brandy) Fine (brandy) Fine (French word meaning "fine", as in "high quality") is a term for some high quality French brandy (generally AOC), including Cognac and Armagnac. Varieties include: It was formerly quite common in France; it is now quite rare. It is notably referenced in Ernest Hemingway's works, including his posthumously published "A Moveable Feast," and in his 1926 novel "The Sun Also Rises": In a scene in the 1964 James Bond film "Goldfinger", Bond is offered more of what Col. Smithers describes as "rather disappointing brandy." M asks what's wrong with it, and Bond replies, (Bon Bois is a