"When you drink brandy or any wine for that matter, you involve three senses–sight, smell, taste," he once narrated. "There is an art to it, and to appreciate good wine and distinguish it as better from the rest takes practice and years of experience."
Don Beltran certainly knows what he is speaking of. He is master of sherry and brandy de Jerez, which means he is on top of the production of sherries, wines and brandies of the House of Pedro Domecq. This brings a tremendous amount of know-how in the aspect of wine-making and spirit appreciation.
He took the reins of the company from his father in 1972. Don Beltran says he learned about brandy and to blend the different soleras (wines in different stages of ageing) from his uncles. It was the blending that made the brandies different from each other since blending would produce different aromas and personalities.
Solera is the system by which small portions of the oldest skin are extracted and replaced with another mix of aged brandy so that the blend is left with a very high percentage of the original brandy. With all the extractions done year after year, portions are always left that have been there for many years, in some cases 50 to 70 years.
For instance, the Fundador Exclusivo is considered a very special blend, made up of 10 or more components.
It is this kind of meticulous wine-making that has established the House of Pedro Domecq’s reputation, one that has been carried over generations since 1730 when the family established its vineyard in Jerez, Spain.
These days, Don Beltran is more of an ambassador for the House of Pedro Domecq. In the Philippines, Fundador is the top imported spirits brand, a distinction born out of the fact that the first shipments arrived in the country way back in 1902.
In a predominantly beer-drinking country. Fundador has maintained its position. In fact, Fundador may have helped push brandy into the largest growing category in the spirits market in the Philippines today.
In the Philippines, Fundador is distributed by Maxxium, a global spirits distribution company that also distributed Jim Beam Bourbon, Absolut Vodka, Macallan Single Malt Whisky and Remy Martin Cognac.
Maxxium Philippines General Manager Joey Mendoza says, "Fundador will continue to grow now that it is with Maxxium. We have proven to grow brands in markets where it is present." He disclosed that all Maxxium brands will be heavily promoted in the country. "We will make all our brands more accessible and relevant to its respective consumers," he adds.