Pisco Logia

South of Lima in Peru's Mala Valley is where grapes are grown and then distilled into Pisco LOGIA grape brandy. Traditional Pisco production is strictly governed by the Peruvian government to preserve the quality of the product. Similar to the significance of Mezcal in Mexican culture, the spirit holds deep social and cultural significance for indigenous Peruvians. Meg MacFarland, founder of Pisco LOGIA, discovered her passion for the drink while traveling in Peru in 2003. She worked at a government co-op distillery in Ica for three years to gain experience in the industry. As of the year 2011, Meg had teamed up with Nati Gordillo, a skilled distiller who had been in the business for quite some time and had both a pot still and vines in the area surrounding Azpitia. Pisco LOGIA is committed to producing its products in a way that respects and celebrates the traditions from which they originate. Grapes cultivated on the estate are first crushed by foot, then gently extracted mechanically, before being used to make the brandies. This fermentation process uses wild yeasts and takes place at room temperature. Conventional methods of making Pisco in Peru include using only approved grape varieties, distilling in a copper potstill (the Pisco LOGIA still is 300 liters), distilling to proof, not adding any water or other additives, not aging in oak barrels, and letting the finished product rest for at least three months before sale. Pisco LOGIA's extra aging time of three months allows the brandies to mellow and blend together for maximum flavor. The non-aromatic Quebranta grape, a hybrid between the Spanish Criolla and Mollar varietals transported to Peru in the early sixteenth century, is the sole ingredient in Pisco Puro Quebranta, a single-variety pisco. The aromatic Italia grape is blended with the more traditional Quebranta to create the "multivarietal" Pisco known as Pisco Acholado.