There is an argument to be made that South Africa is actually the home of brandy – after all, the word itself comes from the Dutch brandewijn or ‘burnt wine’ and where did the Dutch get their wines from in the first place?! Okay, perhaps that’s a slight stretch but there is no doubt that for many centuries now, some of the finest brandies in the world have originated in the Cape. With abundant fruit, plenty of distilling know-how and some of the most quality-driven legislation in the world, it’s no surprise that an SA brandy has won Top Brandy in the World at the International Wine & Spirits Competition 11 out of the past 14 years.