Germain-Robin: French Origin, American Twist 

Isolated within the wilds of Mendocino County lies Germain-Robin, America’s most prestigious brandy producer. Established in 1982, Germain-Robin has been a leader in the domestic craft spirits movement for over three decades, and has set a standard of excellence that is often emulated but rarely matched.

Germain-Robin's genesis is the result of the combined vision of two strangers who met by chance. Ansley Coale, whose name hearkens back to an earlier period in American history, was a wayfaring scholar who, on a whim, purchased a 2,100 acre ranch outside of Ukiah in the early 1970s for a song. For years the ranch remained uncultivated, save for a few sheep, while Coale slowly saved his money. He intended to plant grape vines in 1981, but those plans changed after he picked up a hitchhiker. Coale knew the young traveler was European by the way he held out his thumb—straight up over his head as opposed to off to the side. The hitchhiker turned out to be Hubert Germain-Robin, a man on a quest.

Hubert Germain-Robin came from a distinguished family that had been producing Cognac under the label Jules Robin since 1782. Born with a desire to take over his family’s business, Germain-Robin’s dreams were thwarted when his parents sold their small operation to Martell, one of the largest forces in Cognac. Following the sale, Germain-Robin took his skills to the new world, seeking a fresh environment in which to ply the family trade. While traveling through Northern California, Germain-Robin ended up in Coale’s car, and before the drive was over, Germain-Robin was born.

Germain-Robin founder Ansley Coale in his warehouse.

Once the partnership became official, Hubert Germain-Robin travelled back to Cognac and acquired an old antique still (an machine used to distill liquids and produce spirits) from the 1930s that  he had shipped to California. The two men built a modest facility on Coale’s ranch and distilled 12 barrels of brandy that fall. In the time since, the scope of the operation has grown slowly, and today Germain-Robin produces around 5,500-6,000 cases, spread across 16 different grape brandies, 2 apple brandies, 2 pear liqueurs and 4 grappas. The new, expanded facility includes a warehouse that contains around 60,000 cases worth of aging brandy, a small portion of which dates back to 1982, the inaugural vintage.

A Bumpy Start

“We made a lot of mistakes in the beginning,” remembers Coale, “but we had moments of brilliance as well.” One of their most important revelations came about during their first harvest. Stuck in the Cognac mindset that grape quality was only of minor consideration, Hubert originally tasked Coale to source some cheap Thompson Seedless from the Central Valley. Coale, however, lobbied hard to pull grapes from their backyard—Mendocino County—whose fruit was also inexpensive, roughly $220-380 a ton in the early days. “We fermented a batch of Pinot Noir, and ran it through the still. The aromas were so lovely that Hubert was moved, claiming it was the best smelling brandy he had ever come across.”