No. 43
Charles Neal:
Armagnac, Calvados and Cognac, Oh My!
The Banter
The Guys chat about when it’s all right to share their expertise, when it is not advisable and why novice waiters might not want The Guys in their section.
The Conversation
The Restaurant Guys have their long-time distributor, author and spirits expert Charles Neal on the show to discuss French brandy. Charles tells his journey of discovering and importing products from family distillers of these libations and how he used the Normandy Invasion to do it!
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Charles Neal
Charles Neal is an importer and distributor of wines and spirits based in San Francisco, California. His company, Charles Neal Selections, has been in existence since 1998. He is a leading authority on Armagnac and Calvados, having written benchmark books on both brandies Armagnac: The Definitive Guide to France's Premier Brandy and Calvados: The Spirit of Normandy. His book on Cognac will be coming out in 2025.
In addition to these spirits, Charles imports wines from nearly every French wine region. He pursues those who make quality products and continue to hone their craft, humble producers carrying on a tradition from generations past and building a future for generations to come.
THE INSIDE TRACK
The Guys and Charles have the same goal: finding lesser-known, high-quality products made by small producers and sharing them with a broader audience. They have carried Charles Neal Selections for decades and appreciate Charles’ good taste and tenacity.
Charles: And so I thought what I'll do is I'll go there and in three months I’ll see every Armagnac producer because I had a list of them and there were about 120 of them.
Francis: I like your style! I wish I had been on that trip.
-Charles Neal on The Restaurant Guys Podcast 2024
Cathy Corison:
A Wine of One’s Own
The Restaurant Guys call on Cathy Corison, owner and winemaker at Corison Winery. They talk about the “miracle” of seeing more women in the wine business and the numerous obstacles Cathy had to get through to get to where she is today–making outstanding wines in her own style.
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