![Engine Organic Gin, Le Gin 13, Uncle Val's Botanical Gin, Elena Gin](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.foodandwine.com/thmb/UzPqOi0aIsHYPN1kvOiAo53DscA=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Gins-Being-Produced-by-Winemakers-FT-BLOG0724-5c1ed91c15b642b59ecf5415027fe645.jpg)
Food & Wine / Engine Gin / Andre Brunel / Uncle Val's / Elena Distillery
Gin has the potential to be a deeply terroir-driven spirit, so it only makes sense that winemakers are getting into the game. From France and Italy to New Mexico and beyond, a growing range of gins are being crafted by winemakers or incorporating their expertise to achieve new dimensions of flavor.
For Fabrice Brunel, winemaker at his family’s Rhône Valley estate, Domaine André Brunel, gin is another means to express the fantastic breadth of the region’s botanicals.
“There is a lot of crossover between winemaking and gin-making, especially the embodiment of terroir through carefully selected botanicals, a deep connection to our winemaking heritage, highlighting the differing characteristics in vintaged gin, and an appreciation for the human influence that has shaped our environment over centuries,” says Brunel.
Something similar is afoot in the Langhe, part of Italy’s Piedmont region, where the great wines of Barolo and Barbaresco are produced. Engine Gin, which comes packaged not in a glass bottle but in a metal canister reminiscent of an old-school gas can, is a nod to the region’s automotive history. It’s produced entirely from organic Italian components, including damask rose and sage from Piedmont, Sicilian lemons, and more. The distillery was founded by Paolo Dalla Mora, husband of Rossana Gaja and son-in-law of Italian wine legend Angelo Gaja.
The family behind beloved Piedmontese producer Vietti is also now in the gin business, a transition that makes perfect sense.
“The expansion of wine producers into the gin market could be attributed in my opinion to several factors,” says Elena Penna Currado Vietti, owner and distiller of Elena Spirits. “Firstly, gin production requires a solid understanding of distillation and botanical infusion, skills that many wine producers can easily develop. Additionally, the focus and knowledge of terroirs can play an important role in some cases, especially if producers want to emphasize the local and unique characteristics of their botanical ingredients. In our case, this knowledge played a fundamental role, as our Italian Alpine territory, rich in botanicals, and the long history and tradition of distillation and wine production of Piedmont, were important synergies and catalysts for our project.”
Stratusphere, which was formerly called New Amsterdam Gin, isn’t crafted by a winemaker but does represent the first non-brandy spirit to be made by wine industry giant E. & J. Gallo — another indication that the borderline between the worlds of wine and gin is growing blurry.
Top cocktail bars are taking full advantage of these excellent new offerings. Brendan Bartley, general manager of Bathtub Gin NYC, enjoys Benham’s Gin, which is produced in Sonoma and was founded by Derek Benham, who also founded Purple Wine + Spirits. It’s a “really bright and flavorsome gin, done with some really cool botanicals including buddha’s [hand],” says Bartley. “It's really aromatic and makes a beautiful dry Martini, but has [a] burst of freshness that leaps out of the glass and holds up really well in Gin & Tonic and shaken cocktails.”
Here are six excellent examples of this new world of winemaker gin.
Elena Gin
![Elena Gin](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/otNTMlaoEjuSwxHy9hoocrjaTIQ=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Gins-Being-Produced-by-Winemakers-FT-BLOG0724-Elena-Gin-97620a740e6a4752b2a3236b60056d05.jpg)
Food & Wine / Elena Spirits
The family behind Vietti, the famous Piedmontese producer, has crafted this delicious gin in Serralunga d’Alba, home to some of the greatest wines of Barolo. Elderflower, wild mint, Maritime Alpine juniper, and chinotto peel make for a delicious, unique, and unforgettable gin from one of Italy’s key wine regions.
Engine Organic Gin
![Engine Organic Gin](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/67ek9m8Z-AsZPYiReQKZxd-jTt8=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Gins-Being-Produced-by-Winemakers-FT-BLOG0724-Engine-Organic-Gin-b682c029acbb439b8b5122d8c4ac23ae.jpg)
Food & Wine / Engine Gin
This Italian gin was founded by Paolo Dalla Mora, husband of Rossana Gaja and son-in-law of Angelo Gaja. It’s crafted from organic Italian components and is exceptionally versatile in cocktails, from Gin & Tonics to Negronis and Martinis.
Le Gin 13
![Le Gin 13](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/MSW37SZzIe4VuAZX0W9Y7UgY8-E=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Gins-Being-Produced-by-Winemakers-FT-BLOG0724-Le-Gin-13-d0d8a61faada484dbe2161b0091c9362.jpg)
Food & Wine / Andre Brunel
This distinctly peppery gin uses peppercorn and Szechuan pepper to create a botanical foundation that compliments additional flavors of rosemary, thyme, lavender, and more. It’s notably vintage-dated — a rarity in gin — and the base spirit is crafted from the grapes, stems, and skins of that year’s Rhône Valley harvest. The result is a totally unique entry to the world of gin.
The Gardener Gin
![The Gardener Gin](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/sA3PDru61x4vI08mx5ukGq0c0C4=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Gins-Being-Produced-by-Winemakers-FT-BLOG0724-The-Gardener-Gin-0001765e56a74969857e9d3b93170d92.jpg)
Food & Wine / The Gardener
From Brad Pitt and Famille Perrin of Miraval fame, as well as master distiller Tom Nichol, this exceptionally silky gin is spiced with Provencal juniper, figs and wild rosemary from the Côte d’Azur, and more, resulting in a spirit both complex and elegant. It’s versatile in cocktails, and a joy to sip on its own, preferably with a single large ice cubs to chill it down a bit.
Uncle Val’s Gin
![Uncle Val's Botanical Gin](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/H8lovQlcqT_6tHuz_HR-xJs8i9g=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Gins-Being-Produced-by-Winemakers-FT-BLOG0724-Uncle-Vals-Gins-d3a3df6763774c618d838a7f9d33d62b.jpg)
Food & Wine / Uncle Val's
The Sebastiani name is as closely associated with California wines as any. Today, August Sebastiani, the fourth-generation vintner, helms 3 Badge Beverage Corporation, which, in addition to a wide range of other wines and spirits, is also responsible for the Uncle Val’s lineup of gins. The Restorative Gin is floral with aromas of rose petal and boasts a woodsy character of alongside notes of coriander. Uncle Val’s savory Peppered Gin expression vibrates with black pepper, pimento, and red bell pepper.
Vara High Desert Gin
![Vara High Desert Gin](https://www.foodandwine.com/thmb/sB0pDz7G0JieULhGOeWxduH21Sg=/1500x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Gins-Being-Produced-by-Winemakers-FT-BLOG0724-Vara-High-Desert-Gin-14d91ce302164c938c486afe063e7b15.jpg)
Food & Wine / Vara Distillery
Vara produces both wines and spirits at their New Mexico base of operations, so it only makes sense that an overlap between the two worlds would occur. Partner and winemaker Laurent Gruet is familiar to fans of the eponymous sparkling wine, and the gin produced by Vara is based on a spirit distilled from New Mexico grapes. It sings with notes of licorice, apples, and savory spices.