Category: Brandy Education

The French use the term ‘terroir’ uniquely to describe geological and climatic conditions as a basis for their system of ‘Appellations Cognac Controlee’. This is the geographic, quality control that defines the cognac crus and is vital for the CognaçaiseRead more

Many of us travel to France in the summer holidays and diligently search out local products which are unique to the area we are visiting and Pineau des Charentes, with its rich and often sweet properties, is perhaps the oneRead more

Brandy has been the traditional spirit of Christmas since the sixteenth century and was immortalised by Dickens in Mrs Cratchit’s Christmas pudding, “blazing in half of half a quarter of ignited brandy”. But it is said that cognac was recognisedRead more

Cognac Distillation – The Wine Reduction In the 16th and 17th centuries, the brandies produced in the Charente were reduced by distillation as this made them easier to ship abroad.   The risk of low alcohol wines going off before theyRead more

The cognac distillation process is the most technical part of making the golden nectar. It is the stage where the wine is reduced to a spirit, which we refer to as ‘eau de vie’. Distillation is carried out twice. TheRead more

We call it dilution in the industry and nearly every cognac needs to have a level of dilution to optimise its qualities.  Some cognacs are superbly smooth and almost too easy to drink whilst others are fiery and aggressive andRead more

There are between four and five thousand cognac producers in the Charente and Charente Maritime region of France. Only brandy produced here, under strict regulations, is allowed to be called cognac. The world market for cognac is hundreds of millionsRead more

Last month I discussed the effect of the natural ageing process on cognac colour but not all cognacs on the shelf have obtained their colour this way.  Some of the big cognac houses try to provide a false maturity toRead more

There is a long held view amongst cognac drinkers that the darker a cognac appears the longer it has been aged in the barrel and therefore the better and more valuable it is. There is, up to a point, someRead more

It is surprising how many times we are asked this question.  The answer is, of course, completely different from wine, as the distillation process reduces it to a spirit. There is nothing in cognac which can effectively reduce its life providing air cannot get intoRead more