Ransom Wine and Spirits is a microdistillery founded in Oregon that bases its spirits on the wine grapes--something that Oregon is becoming increasingly famous for around the world. The company was founded in 1997 by Tad Seestedt with "a fistful of credit cards" and beginning with grappa, brandy, and eau d'vie. To this day the company is committed to organic and "biodynamically produced" fruits. The name "ransom" is a kind of joke to the money necessary to become a small business owner "and the amount of debt owed to banks and other loaning institutions." Ransom Sweet Vermouth claims to hearken to the French Belle Epoch. They use their own white wine including Gewurztraminer (a very sweet wine) and Riesling. They give it a solera style aging, a spice infusion, and then lightly sweetened with maple syrup and turbinado sugar.
