Grape of the Art: Behind the scenes with an Independent Bottler shaping the future of Spirits.

Grape of the Art, Welcome to Switzerland! We are very happy to collaborate with you on this new adventure! First things first, could you tell us what Grape of the Art is all about? 

Thank you! We’re excited to be here. Grape of the Art is a group of four spirit enthusiasts from Stuttgart with a passion for discovering and sharing exceptional Armagnac and Cognac. We travel to France several times a year to find unique single casks that highlight the craft and character of these brandies. For us, it’s all about unaltered, cask-strength spirits that tell their own story in each bottle. Our aim is to introduce the beauty of these rare finds to those who appreciate high-quality, authentic spirits.

How did you come up with the name? 

Our name, Grape of the Art, reflects two things: the focus on grape-based spirits and our appreciation for the artistry involved in creating them. Armagnac and Cognac producers put so much dedication and tradition into their work, and each barrel is like a work of art. We wanted our name to honour that dedication.

In an era where Whisky and Rhum/Rum are the main talking points in the spirits industry, why did you choose to bottle Armagnacs and Cognacs? 

It all started with a fun idea from Sascha during one of our regular rum evenings. Sascha added a few Armagnacs to a blind tasting and we were amazed by the depth and complexity. These spirits have a unique charm that appeals to rum and whisky lovers but hasn’t yet had the same spotlight. By focusing on Armagnac and Cognac, we want to introduce people to this hidden world of flavours and character.

At 3spirits, we love the fact that you are bringing a new light on such good spirits and keeping it independent. Can you tell us a bit about the people producing these gems? How did you approach them, and what is their view about the Armagnac and Cognac industry? 

The producers we work with are mostly family-owned, with generations of history behind them. They are passionate and deeply connected to the land, which shows in the quality of their spirits. When we visit them, we get to experience their process firsthand. They’re usually just as excited to see young enthusiasts showing interest in Armagnac as we are to taste their casks. Many of them see it as a way to keep the tradition alive and make Armagnac appealing to a new audience. For instance, at Domaine de Pellehaut, Mathieu and Martin Beraut run a 400-year-old family estate, and they bring a lot of pride and dedication to their work.

The whisky and now the rum industry is experimenting a lot with different types of casks (ex-wine, ex-cognac, ex-rum, sherry vs bourbon, mizunara oak…). What about the Armagnac and Cognac industry? Would it still be called as such? And did you encounter such a thing in France? 

Armagnac and Cognac are typically aged in French oak, especially Gascony oak for Armagnac, and this traditional approach gives these spirits their distinctive characteristics. While some producers are experimenting with different types of barrels, they usually stick to methods that protect the spirit’s identity. For example, at Pellehaut, they age their Armagnac in local oak barrels made by a nearby cooper, giving it a strong sense of place. In Armagnac, the focus tends to be on the natural evolution of the spirit rather than influencing it with different casks.

The shape of your bottlings is quite unusual for Armagnacs and Cognacs. How can we distinguish the Armagnac and the Cognac from your bottlings? Can the designs on your labels give us a clue? 

We wanted our bottles to be recognizable and distinct, so we went with a shape that’s bold and a more modern from traditional Armagnac and Cognac bottles. As for the labels, we keep the designs minimal but provide maximum information on the single cask, which should help distinguish them.

Tell us about the bottling process. Do you do it all on-site? 

Yes, the bottling is done at the producer’s site or nearby, straight from the cask. We want to preserve the spirit in its purest form, so there’s no dilution or alteration - just the unfiltered, cask-strength expression that captures the heart of each distillate.

Armagnac is produced in small quantities. How many casks are you bottling in a year? How many producers do you intend to bottle? 

Our goal is quality over quantity, so we select only a few casks each year. Each cask is chosen for its unique qualities, not just to fill a quota. We aim to work with a small number of trusted producers, building relationships and sharing their most distinctive barrels with our community.

Vaudon is your first Cognac made of three different casks. What proportion of 75/78/80 goes into this blending? 

Yes, our Vaudon Cognac is a blend from three exceptional vintages - 1975, 1978, and 1980. We immediately fallen in love with this balanced expression where each vintage complements the others. The blend reflects the best qualities of these years while still delivering that unfiltered, cask-strength experience we love.

There are not many Armagnac Festivals in the world. What makes it a success in Germany? 

In Germany, there’s a growing appreciation for artisanal and traditional spirits, and Armagnac offers that in spades. With the German Armagnac Festival, we have established the first spirits fair dedicated entirely to Armagnac. We create a family atmosphere in Stuttgart and connect passionate producers and interested spirits lovers surrounded by Stuttgart's vineyards. The third edition will open on May 24, 2025 and we are already looking forward to it.

Can we expect Grape of the Art ever bottling something other than Armagnacs and Cognacs? 

For now, we’re focused on Armagnac and Cognac - they are our passion, and we feel there’s still so much to explore and share. But who knows? We’re always open to new adventures in the world of spirits. If we find something that aligns with our values and offers the same authenticity and quality, we might just consider it!