Wine is roughly one part alcohol to five parts water, but the boiling point for alcohol is only 173 degrees Fahrenheit- 39 degrees lower than the boiling point for water. So the alcohol in wine can be distilled into brandy by heating the wine to just over 173 degrees — hot enough to boil the alcohol, but not hot enough to boil the water. The steam, which is mostly alcohol, is then run through cold tubing where it condenses and drips into a container. Although the water doesn’t actually boil, some water still evaporates with the alcohol which is why even the strongest liquor is not a hundred percent alcohol. But most of the water is left behind. Making wine is a biological process which is legal in most states. But remove the water to make brandy, and you’re committing a federal offense.