Very little true brandy is made in the United States. There is a good deal of spirit distilled from grapes, or the wine made from grapes, but little of it has any claim to the term "brandy." Much of the so-called brandy made in this country is the product of rectifying stills.

The principal part of the brandy in the United States is made in California. The greater part of the grapes, which grow in California, are so radically different from those grown in the Charente that it is not to be expected that the products will compare in quality. In addition to this the manufacture of brandy in California is mostly an incident of the winery, instead of its object. In point of fact, a very large part of the wine set aside for distillation for the making of brandy is wine that has gone bad during fermentation, and is so sick that it cannot be kept for development. Wines which are commencing to turn acid or to go wrong are sent at once to the distillery, while the sound wines are preserved for beverage purposes. In addition to that a considerable amount of sugar is added to the pumace and refer-mented, but this brandy is of a bad character. A single sip of this so-called brandy would give a far better description of its character than words could convey.

The brandy industry of the United States may be regarded as practically not established upon an ethical basis. The result is that no one drinks or cares for the brandy of this country. There is no reason why many regions of California and other wine-producing states may not make a good brandy if proper precautions are taken. I have personally tested brandy made in California of good quality and bouquet.