Sobering news for drinkers of ‘vintage’ SA brandy

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled yesterday that, by law, liquor producers could claim to be selling a five-year-old vintage — even if only 30% of the liquid was, in fact, of that age.

Liquor producer Pernod Ricard lodged a complaint with the ASA against rival brandy maker Distell for advertising Mellow-Wood 5 as being “mellowed in wood for five years”. Pernod Ricard complained that though five-year-old brandy made up 30% of the product, the rest was unaged new spirit coloured with caramel.

This is common practice for brandy makers and is legitimate.

Distell pointed out that the Liquor Products Act allowed non-matured wine spirit to make up as much as 70% of brandy’s alcohol content.

In terms of Regulation 12, pot- still brandy must be matured in oak barrels for a minimum of three years, while the added wine spirit component does not have to be matured.

The ASA said consumers would probably have the wrong mental picture of what the five-year claim meant, but this was due to “a lack of education on the subject of brandies”.

“If consumers understood the requirements for brandy content, they are not likely to feel materially misled,” it said.

However, industry commentators believe that, beyond misleading customers, the practice also makes it difficult for SA to export its brandies.

“We are the only exception in the world when it comes to the way brandy is produced,” said Vasie van Niekerk who has had 40 years of experience in the brandy making industry.

The international community tends to follow the European Union’s definition of brandy — being produced in a continuous process, with a maximum added amount of 50% of non-neutral spirit, which is then “wooded”.

The newly formed Brandy Foundation has launched a campaign to educate consumers.

P otstill brandy maker Carel Nel of Boplaas estate said that, by law, potstill brandy must be at least 90% potstill and 10% neutral wine spirit.

He said it was generally the case that the higher the level of potstill in a blend, the better the taste. I n cases of over-consumption, however, hangovers would be the same.