GRAPE OF THE ART
As one of the first independent bottlers of Armagnac, we founded the Grape of the Art project with four passionate friends in Stuttgart in 2021.
Our mission was to find special Armagnac casks directly in the cellars in Gascony and to bottle these special treasures under our own label. In the process, we discovered incredibly amazing treasures and got to know many exciting personalities from the world of Armagnac.
Later, we also expanded our portfolio to include single cask cognacs.
Until I left the Founder-Team in 2024 to concentrate to further develop my own projects, I was responsible for visual marketing and also played a significant role in the selection of casks and design of the labels.
With Grape of the Art, I learned for the first time what it means to be an independent bottler, what the many challenges and pitfalls are, but above all, what makes the single cask business so fascinating.
Hundreds of casks tasted later, I know, as Aristotle said in the 5th century BC, that I know nothing, and that the learning process begins anew with every cask. I have gained a lot of experience, but also humility.
The smell of ancient warehouses
It is one thing to create a product and have brokers send you barrel samples, but it is quite another to visit the producers in person. To get to know their families (and pets). To build friendships with them. To gain their trust. To hear their stories and experiences.
To experience the magic of barrel ageing right there in their sometimes ancient barrel cellars. Where the history and the angel's share are almost tangible in the air. That's why we always put the producer's name as the most important title on our labels, because respect for their work and promoting their quality was our top priority.
Timeless lines meet complex fantasies
In terms of design, we were inspired by Picasso's single-line drawings. Our designer Theresa Plos transformed our crazy ideas, which were enriched by films, music and the stories of the producers, into highly complex labels.
