Brandy the era, were considered some of the best in the world and often beat their French competitors at the International Expositions in Paris and Brussels in the early 1900s. Except for few major producers, brandy production and consumption tend to have a regional character and thus production methods significantly vary. Wine brandy is produced from a variety of grape cultivars. A special selection of cultivars, providing distinct aroma and character, is used for high-quality brandies, while cheaper ones are made from whichever wine is available. Brandy is made from so-called base wine, which significantly differs from regular table wines. It
Brandy techniques. Since these are considered "protected designation of origin", a brandy made elsewhere may not be called Cognac in these jurisdictions, even if made in an identical manner. Brandy has a traditional age grading system, although its use is unregulated outside of Cognac and Armagnac. These indicators can usually be found on the label near the brand name: In the case of Brandy de Jerez, the Consejo Regulador de la Denominacion Brandy de Jerez classifies it according to: Russian brandies (traditionally called "Cognac" within the country), as well as brandies from many other post-Soviet states (except Armenia) use the traditional