You say there's a California brandy that's just as good as French Cognac?
C’mon bro, don’t mess with me! | | Whether you call it fate or luck, the story of Germain-Robin Brandy is almost too strange to believe. Hubert Germain-Robin was a young French dude hitchhiking around California back in 1981, looking for a new place to set up shop. His family had sold their Cognac distillery to Martell, and Hubert wanted to do something totally new. While bumming around far northern California, he thumbed a ride with a professor of ancient history at Cal Berkeley, who just happened to own 2,000 acres in Ukiah. The professor was also looking for something new to do, so Hubert lined up some local grape sources, built a distillery in a barn, and they were off to the races.
The result was world class brandy, the equal to almost any Cognac in existence. And even after all these years, it’s still an insider kind of drink: They don’t spend millions of dollars to market the stuff, so you have to know just how good this Cali brandy is, and the unlikeliness of the whole enterprise thriving some 40 years later adds a whole other layer that we love.
We offer two different Germain-Robin brandies (or as the pros like to call them, “expressions.”)
The California Alambic Brandy ($79.99) is made from Colombard grapes — the same variety used in the Cognac region. It’s distilled in traditional Charentais pot stills and aged seven years in Limousin oak barrels. Loaded with the aromas of apple, pear and honeysuckle, it’s got a silky smooth, exceedingly rich mouthfeel pinging with cinnamon, brown sugar, peaches and apricots. Could this be too much of a good thing in one bottle? NOT A CHANCE!
The Germain-Robin XO Brandy is even more magnificent (and at $133.99 it oughta be!!). Building on its base of Pinot Noir, with a touch of Colombard and Semillon, this brandy is redolent of fresh apples, cherries, peaches and apricots — set the hedonism level at 11 — lulled with the deep vanilla and toast flavors from the oak. It is one of the smoothest brandies we’ve ever tasted, with a finish that goes on forever. | | SAVE THE DATE! On Oct. 2, from 5 to 8 P.M, Biagio's Free Friday night tastings are BACK! Joel Dicharry of the Heritage Collection will be pouring wines from Neyers (a killer Chardonnay and a Bordeaux-inspired red blend), plus the latest Sabine Rosé from Bieler Père et Fils, a couple of Trinchero Vermouths, and the Amador Double Barrel Bourbon, finished in Chardonnay barrels. You gotta try it to believe it. | | It's Beer Time! Athletic Brewing Company Run Wild IPA and local faves The Manhattan Project now in stock! | We first tasted this new brew from Boston blind and thought it was real good. But then came the reveal: it's a great-tasting beer with no alcohol!! Athletic’s Run Wild IPA is brewed from five different hops and has a rich, complex body better than any no-alcohol brew we've ever tried. Somehow, it keeps all of a regular IPA's flavor —but sends the buzz to the cornfield. It's the 2020 winner of the World Beer Awards, and at only 96 calories it saves plenty of room for pizza!
But wait, there's more!
We’re also now carrying several brews from our across-the-bridge neighbors The Manhattan Project. We’ve got Half Life (an unfiltered Northeast inspired IPA), Hoppenheimer (a West Coast American IPA with a gloriously dank hop aroma) and Necessary Evil (a dry, crisp Pilsner with a hint of hop character). Brilliance across the entire lineup, you should check them out! | | | Also on Friday, Oct 2, we’ll be be offering tastes of the 100% organic Religion Tequila and all the way from Islay in Scotland, Bruichladdich Scotch. No cost, no reservations, just stroll in and join us! Talk about a guaranteed great start to the evening!! | | Villa Creek Cherry House White $27.99 | The first release of Cris & JoAnn Cherry's Villa Creek Winery was 2001, a few years after they moved to Paso Robles to open a restaurant (coincidentally also called Villa Creek - go figure!). Their commitment to sustainable farming and grape varieties that aren’t Cabernet or Chardonnay paved the way for the inspired winemaking that Paso is known for today. The Cherry House White ($27.99) is am excellent example of the couple's outside-the-box (bottle?) approach. A blend of Clairette and Grenache Blanc, it’s lush, spicy and fruity and wraps up with a serenely dry finish. It reminds us of a delicious Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, and it’s as pleasurable on its own as it is with a plate of carnitas or chicken tacos. | | | Biagio is open all the hours we're legally allowed to be, which in Texas happens to be Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. And if you can't stop in and see us in person, we deliver. Ask us for recommendations. Ask us for advice. Ask us about the Biagio Wine Club! We know all sorts of things and we like to share! | | | | | | |
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