Cognac - Learn More, Enjoy More

Before enjoying a glass of fine Cognac, France's premier brandy, you may like to learn something more about what makes this brandy so special. All aspects of Cognac production are carefully controlled and producers must adhere to strict guidelines stipulated by the Cognac appellation. Only certain types of grapes grown in a specified area can be used to make Cognac and there are additional guidelines governing the distillation, storage, aging and bottling process..

Cognac, France

The French town of Cognac is located close to the Atlantic seaboard just north of Bordeaux. The wine brandy known as Cognac is made exclusively from grapes grown in the area surrounding this town, including most of the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Coganc brandy is protected by a French appellation that stipulates that only brandy that comes from this specific area can label itself Cognac.

The Cognac appellation is further subdivided into specific territories. Roughly speaking, the further you travel away from the town of Cognac the less prized the grapes are for making brandy. Here are the terms used to distinguish the different lands that produce the grapes used to make Cognac:

Grande Champagne (note that this is different from the French region of Champagne). The Cognac produced with grapes grown in this area is considered to be the finest and most flavorful. It must be aged a long time to fulfill its potential.

Petite Champange - One step down from Grande Champagne, this area produces a less subtle brandy that ages more quickly but is considered nearly as good as that of Grande Champagne.

Borderies -The smallest of the Cognac territories, the brandy from this area is said to be more round and floral and require less aging than those from the Champagne areas.

Fins Bois - The largest area of production for Cognac, producing a more rustic brandy.

Bons bois - . Similar to the fins bois, but more ordinary and rustic.

Bois ordinaires - This includes the vineyards closest to the ocean. Makes a more ordinary, less prized brandy that ages rapidly.

Cognac is made principally from the juice of Ugni Blanc grapes, but you also find Colombard, Folle-Blanche, Semillon, and other grapes used in small quantities. Historically, the wine produced in the Charente region was of inferior quality used mainly to make a distillate for fortifying other alcohols. It wasn't until someone had the idea of distilling the wine twice that Cognac brandy came into its own. It is the process of double distillation that gives Cognac all of its refinement and that produces a smooth, prized brandy.

Cognac Aging

The aging of Cognac is also an important step in its elaboration. In order to earn the Cognac appellation, the brandy must be aged in new oak barrels (typically the wood comes from trees in the Limousin region of France) and placed in storage rooms reserved strictly for Cognac. During the aging process a part of the alcohol evaporates (this is known as the la part des anges or the angel's part) and produces a characteristic black mold on the walls of the room.

After the fermentation and distillation process, all Cognac is aged a minimum of two years, and some is aged twenty years and longer. In general, the longer a Cognac is aged, the smoother it becomes. Once it is bottled this aging process is stopped.

Cognac Rating

When you buy a bottle of cognac, it is almost always a blend of different brandies. The selection and blending of different stocks and years of cognac to produce the final product is a crucial step in the process of making a quality brandy. The age on a bottle of Cognac always refers to the youngest brandy that it contains. Your bottle of Cognac will have one of the following designations:

Trois Etoiles (three stars) or VS (very special) - The most ordinary sort of cognac. The youngest brandy in this blend has been aged at least two years.

VSOP(very superior old pale) or VO (very old) - The youngest brandy in this blend has been aged at least four years.

XO (extra old), Napoleon, Hors d'age - The youngest brandy in this blend has been aged for at least six years.

Beyond this labeling system and with older Cognacs, it is the prestige of the maker that counts the most. The top producers of cognac are Hennessy, Remy Martin, Martell, Courvoisier, Camus and Otard.

How to Drink Cognac

These days you will find Cognac used as an ingredient in cocktails, where it marries especially well with fruit flavors. In France, Cognac is sometimes added to coffee to finish a meal, and it is often used very nicely in recipes.

However, if you have a bottle of quality Cognac, please do consider enjoying it by itself and, as with anything good, in small quantities. It is a nice drink to have after dinner and best enjoyed with good company or at least in front of a crackling fire.

Pour a small amount into a tulip glass with a short stem and warm the brandy with your hands, allowing the fumes to waft up your nose, before finally taking a sip. Allow the Cognac to fill your mouth with its aroma and swallow slowly, feeling your mouth, then throat, then belly warmed by its smooth fire.

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