The first stand-alone tasting room dedicated solely to luxury California brandies, California Brandy House, will soon be unveiled at First Street Napa, a collection of artisan retail and dining in the heart of downtown Napa. Set to open on November 6, 2020 for outdoor tastings only, California Brandy House will initially showcase two leading brandy portfolios, Germain-Robin and Argonaut.

Guests will discover California brandy through expert guided tasting flights, including limited offerings and single-barrel samples not available anywhere else. Tastings will initially take place in the California Brandy House outdoor parklet. For the best guest experience and to ensure proper social distancing, reservations must be made in advance. As a bottle shop, guests can also purchase from the full Germain-Robin and Argonaut portfolio, including exclusive releases as well as the ability to customize every bottle with laser engraving. Additional experiences will be added in the future.

“Our California brandies, like Germain-Robin and Argonaut, are crafted from world-class white and red grape varieties exclusively grown on California soil,” says Britt West, Vice President and General Manager of Gallo Spirits, a division of E. & J. Gallo Winery. “These fine brandies are as rich, vibrant and complex as the land itself. There is no better place than Napa Valley, the heart of wine country, to re-establish California brandy among the world’s best distilled spirits.”

At First Street Napa, California Brandy House joins an engaging, walkable collection of Napa Valley’s most innovative specialty merchants, chefs, artists and tasting rooms. “Since its inception, First Street Napa has been committed to cultivating distinctive destinations to shop and explore, and California Brandy House is a wonderful example of a completely new concept,” said Todd Zapolski, managing partner, First Street Napa. “With its stylish aesthetic and unique tasting options, it’s going to be a real draw. We are thrilled to welcome them to our community.”

California Brandy House continues Gallo’s long investment into this historic spirit. Over the last four decades, the Gallo family has been building a library of premium brandy lots, exploring what could be achieved through a diverse selection of barrels, varieties, ages and distillation techniques. “The Gallo family has been devoted to the pursuit of crafting the best brandy for generations,” says West. “California Brandy House cements that commitment now and into the future. We look forward to inviting a new generation to discover and explore fine, California-appellation brandies.”

Though it is seen today as an up-and-coming trend in brown spirits, brandy played a pivotal role in California drinks history. From the time of missionary Franciscan monks using wine country grapes to craft California’s first brandies to the exceptional brandies of today, California Brandy House will allow guests to learn more about the spirit’s long west coast history.

The health and well-being of our employees, guests and communities is of utmost importance. California Brandy House will continue to make any necessary adjustments to the tasting experience to stay current with all local, state and national requirements.

California Brandy House is located at 1300 First Street, Suite 309, in downtown Napa. To learn more about Germain-Robin brandy, go to Germain-Robin.com. To learn more about Argonaut, visit ArgonautBrandy.com.

About Premium California Brandy
There is no spirit more deeply tied to the heritage of California than Brandy. Brandy’s origins date back to the California Missions in the late 1600’s, was highly regarded worldwide in the 1890’s, and has enjoyed renewed attention with the birth of the craft spirits movement. Today, California Brandy is as rich and inventive as the land it comes from. Traditionally, brandy is made from a single neutral white grape, but California Brandy parts with this tradition as it is made exclusively from world-class California-grown red and white grapes. Germain-Robin is one of the earliest pioneers of the craft distilling movement and the original Premium California Brandy, and continues to lead the category into a new era. Argonaut Premium California Brandy’s four expressions celebrate the pioneering spirit of California’s miners. Brandy marries the heritage and future of the Golden State — it is the Spirit of California.

About E. & J. Gallo Winery
Founded by brothers Ernest and Julio Gallo in 1933 in Modesto, California, E. & J. Gallo Winery is the world’s largest family-owned winery with more than 7,000 global employees and is the acclaimed producer of award-winning wines and spirits featured in more than 100 countries around the globe. A pioneer in the art of grape growing, winemaking, sustainable practices, marketing and worldwide distribution, Gallo crafts and imports wines and spirits to suit a diverse range of tastes and occasions, from everyday offerings to boutique, luxury bottlings. The Gallo portfolio is comprised of more than 100 unique brands.

About First Street Napa
First Street Napa is a 325,000-square-foot mixed-use development and artisan collective located in the heart of Downtown Napa. Spanning three city blocks, First Street Napa features space for 45 fashion and specialty retailers, innovative restaurants and wine bars, creative office locations, and Archer Hotel Napa, the tallest building in Napa Valley. First Street Napa’s distinctive retail, agrarian landscaping, approachable dining, and wine country charm make this destination unmistakably Napa. The local community and visitors alike are invited to experience this welcoming reimagination of the historic downtown corridor. For more information, please visit www.firststreetnapa.com and follow along @FirstStreetNapa on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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