South African brandies are, by law, made almost exactly as Cognac, using a double distillation process in copper pot stills followed by ageing in oak barrels for a minimum of three years. Because of this, South African brandies are considered very high quality. Italian Stravecchio has been produced since the 1700s in the North of Italy, especially in Emilia-Romagna and Veneto, using grapes that are popular in winemaking such as Sangiovese and Grignolino. Colour, texture and finish resemble those of their French and Spanish counterparts. The most popular brands are Vecchia Romagna, Stravecchio Branca and Stock 84. Northern Italy has also been noted since the Middle Ages for another type of wine spirit, Grappa, which is generally colourless but has some top-shelf varieties called barrique which are aged in oak casks and achieve the same caramel colour as regular brandies. There is a vast production of Stravecchios and Grappas in Italy, with more than 600 large, medium or small distilleries. Ticino, in Italian-speaking Switzerland, is also allowed to produce pomace brandy under the name of Grappa. Labelling of grades Brandy has a traditional age grading system, although its use is unregulated outside of Cognac and Armagnac. These indicators can usually be found on the label near the brand name: V.S. ("very special") or ✯✯✯ (three stars) designates a blend in which the youngest brandy has been stored for at least two years in a cask. V.S.O.P. ("very superior old pale"), Reserve or ✯✯✯✯✯ (five stars) designates a blend in which the youngest brandy is stored for at least four years in a cask. XO ("extra old") or Napoléon designates a blend in which the youngest brandy is stored for at least six years. Hors d'âge ("beyond age") is a designation formally equal to XO for Cognac, but for Armagnac it designates brandy that is at least ten years old. In practice, the term is used by producers to market a high-quality product beyond the official age scale. In the case of Brandy de Jerez, the Consejo Regulador de la Denominacion Brandy de Jerez classifies it according to Brandy de Jerez Solera: 6 months old. Brandy de Jerez Solera Reserva: one year old. Brandy de Jerez Solera Gran Reserva: three years old. Russian brandies (traditionally called "Cognac" within the country), as well as brandies from many other post-Soviet states (except Armenia), use the traditional Russian grading system that is similar to