Angelica

Angelica is thought to be one of the oldest California wines, made originally by adding brandy to grape juice by the Mission fathers in the 1700’s. Similar wines are made in Spain by adding brandy to the grape juice from sun dried grapes for the wonderful PX Sherries and also in Australia for the fabulous Muscats and Topaques of North east Victoria. In all these wines, the resulting very sweet wine only reaches extraordinary heights after long barrel aging so that the sweetness is balanced by complexity developed through slow oxidation. The demands of modern business have made such wines difficult to make because of the long-term inventory costs and this is a pity as I’ve enjoyed many of these Muscats, Topaques and PX sherries.