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Cognac in a tulip glass

Cognac (pronounced /ˈkɒnjæk/), named after the town of Cognac in France, is a brandy produced in the region surrounding the town. It must be made from at least 90% Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, or Colombard grapes. The remainder may consist of the grape varieties Folignan, Jurançon blanc, Meslier St-François, Montils, and Sémillon,^[1] however, most cognac is made from Ugni Blanc only.^[2] It must be distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels that are sealed airtight in order to be called cognac. Cognac is a commune in the French département of Charente, of which it is a sous-préfecture. ... For other uses, see Brandy (disambiguation). ... Trebbiano is a white grape used to make white wine, and the most common white grape variety in Italy, accounting for around a third of all Italys white wine. ... Folle Blanche was the traditional grape variety of the Cognac and Armagnac regions of France. ... Colombard is a variety of wine grape, better known as French Colombard in North America. ... This article is about the fruits of the genus Vitis. ... Sémillon is a golden-skinned grape used to make dry and sweet white wines, most notably in France and Australia. ... For other uses, see Copper (disambiguation). ... Pot stills in Scotland A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. ... Whiskey barrels at the Jack Daniels distillery Barrels for aging wine in Napa Valley An aging barrel is a barrel used to age wine or distilled spirits such as whiskey, brandy, or rum. ...

A similar drink, but distilled in a different way and produced in another region is armagnac from Armagnac. There is also calvados based on apples from the Basse-Normandie or Lower Normandy region, and plum brandy from Souillac. 1956 Armagnac Armagnac (IPA [aʁmaɲak]), the region of France, has given its name to its distinctive kind of brandy or eau de vie, made of the same grapes as Cognac and undergoing the same aging in oak barrels, but with column still distillation (Cognac is distilled in pot... The hilly Armagnac region in the foothills of the Pyrenées, between the Adour and Garonne rivers is a historic comté of the Duchy of Gascony (Gascogne), established in 601 in the southwest of Aquitaine (now France). ... A bottle of calvados Pays DAuge Calvados is an apple brandy from the French région of Lower Normandy. ... Capital Caen Land area¹ 17,589 km² Regional President Philippe Duron (PS) (since 2004) Population  - Jan. ...

The town of Cognac is one of only three officially demarcated brandy regions in Europe; the others are the French town of Armagnac and the Spanish town of Jerez. For other uses, see Brandy (disambiguation). ... The hilly Armagnac region in the foothills of the Pyrenées, between the Adour and Garonne rivers is a historic comté of the Duchy of Gascony (Gascogne), established in 601 in the southwest of Aquitaine (now France). ... see: Jerez de la Frontera Jerez was a small independent emirate created c. ...

Producing region and legal definitions

Map of the Cognac region

The region authorised to produce cognac is divided up into six zones, including five crus (singular cru), broadly covers the department of Charente-Maritime, a large part of the department of Charente and a few areas in Deux-Sèvres and the Dordogne. The six zones are, in order of decreasing appreciation of the cognacs coming from them: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne (also known as "Petite Fine Champagne"), Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois, and Bois Ordinaires(the only zone without "cru" status). Charente-Maritime is a département on the west coast of France named after the Charente River. ... Charente (Saintongeais: Chérente, Occitan: TCharanto) is a department in central France named after the Charente River. ... Deux-Sèvres is a French département. ... Dordogne (Occitan: Dordonha) is a department in central France named after the Dordogne River. ... A brandy snifter A cognac pot still Cognac, named after the town of Cognac in France, is a brandy, which is produced in the region surrounding the town. ... Petite Champagne is a French district known for its cognac. ... Borderies is a district in France known for its cognac. ... Fins Bois is a French district known for its cognac. ... Bons Bois is a French district known for its cognac. ...

A cognac made from just the first two of these crus (with at least 50% from Grande Champagne) is called "fine champagne cognac" ("champagne" coming in both cases from archaic words meaning chalky soil, a characteristic of both areas). This article is about Champagne, the alcoholic beverage. ...

Even within the defined region, if a brandy is produced that fails to meet any of the strict criteria set down by the governing body of cognac production, the BNIC—Bureau National Interprofessionel du Cognac—it may not be called cognac, nor sold as such. Brandy produced elsewhere in France or any other part of the world cannot legally be called "cognac". For other uses, see Brandy (disambiguation). ...

• It must be produced within the delimited region, from wine using certain grape varieties;
• It must be obtained through double distillation, in typical copper Charentais stills;
• It must be aged in French oak barrels, which give it part of its color and part of its taste.

Many of the cognac producers in the town of Cognac and the surrounding area allow visitors to taste their product; the bigger companies have guided tours to show visitors how the cognac is made. This is a list of varieties of cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a Table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). ... Laboratory distillation set-up: 1: Heat source 2: Still pot 3: Still head 4: Thermometer/Boiling point temperature 5: Condenser 6: Cooling water in 7: Cooling water out 8: Distillate/receiving flask 9: Vacuum/gas inlet 10: Still receiver 11: Heat control 12: Stirrer speed control 13: Stirrer/heat plate... Species See List of Quercus species The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of several hundred species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus (from Latin oak tree), which are listed in the List of Quercus species, and some related genera, notably... Whiskey barrels at the Jack Daniels distillery Barrels for aging wine in Napa Valley An aging barrel is a barrel used to age wine or distilled spirits such as whiskey, brandy, or rum. ...

Production Process

A cognac pot still

Cognac is made from eaux-de-vie (literally, "waters of life") produced by doubly distilling the white wines produced in any of the growth areas. The wine is a very dry, acidic, thin wine, not really suitable for drinking, but excellent for distillation. It may only be made from a strict list of grape varieties. Distillation takes place in traditionally shaped Charentais copper stills, also known as an alembic, the design and dimensions of which are also legally controlled. Two distillations must be carried out; the resulting eau-de-vie is a colourless spirit of about 70% alcohol. Image File history File links A pot still for making Cognac Copyright © 2005 David Monniaux File links The following pages link to this file: Cognac (drink) Pot still ... Image File history File links A pot still for making Cognac Copyright © 2005 David Monniaux File links The following pages link to this file: Cognac (drink) Pot still ... Pot stills in Scotland A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. ... Eau de vie is a French term for a colourless brandy distilled from fermented fruit juice. ... Pot stills in Scotland A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. ... An alembic is an alchemical still consisting of two retorts connected by a tube. ...

Cognac may not be sold to the public, or indeed called 'Cognac', until it has been aged for at least two years, counting from the end of the period of distillation (1 April following the year the grapes were harvested). is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

During the aging, a large percentage of the alcohol (and water) in the eaux-de-vie evaporates through the porous oak barrels. This is termed locally the "part des anges", or angels' share, a phrase also used in whisky production. A black fungus, Baudoinia compniacensis (Richon) Scott & Unter., thrives on the alcoholic vapours and normally grows on the walls of the ageing cellars. For other uses, see Whisky (disambiguation). ... For the fictional character, see Fungus the Bogeyman. ...

The final product is usually diluted to 40% alcohol content (80 proof) with pure and distilled water. Major manufacturers add a small proportion of caramel to colour their cognacs (at least the less expensive qualities); it is claimed that this does not affect the flavour. Alcoholic proof is a measure of how much ethanol is in an alcoholic beverage, and is approximately twice the percentage of alcohol by volume (ABV, the unit that is commonly used presently). ... Caramel candy For other uses, see Caramel (disambiguation). ...

The age of the cognac is calculated as that of the youngest eau-de-vie used in the blend. The blend is usually of different ages and (in the case of the larger and more commercial producers) from different local areas. This blending, or marriage, of different eaux-de-vie is important to obtain a complexity of flavours absent from an eau-de-vie from a single distillery or vineyard. Each cognac house has a master taster (maître de chai) who is responsible for creating this delicate blend of spirits, so that the cognac produced by a company today will taste almost exactly the same as a cognac produced by that same company 50 years ago, or in 50 years' time. In this respect it may be seen to be similar to a blended whisky or non-vintage Champagne, which also rely on blending to achieve a consistent brand flavour. For other uses, see Whisky (disambiguation). ... This article is about Champagne, the alcoholic beverage. ...

Hundreds of vineyards in the Cognac AOC region sell their own cognac. These are likewise blended from the eaux-de-vie of different years, but they are single-vineyard cognacs, varying slightly from year to year and according to the taste of the producer, hence lacking some of the predictability of the better-known commercial products. Depending on their success in marketing, small producers may sell a larger or smaller proportion of their product to individual buyers, wine dealers, bars and restaurants, the remainder being acquired by larger cognac houses for blending. The success of artisanal cognacs (and of single malt whiskies) has compelled some larger producers to market single-vineyard cognacs from vineyards that they own. A recent example of this is the cognac house Hennessy, who released Izambard, Le Peu and Camp Romain, being three of their distilleries, in 1999. Bottle of Hennessy XO Cognac Hennessy is one of the oldest and most famous manufacturers of cognac, a type of French distilled wine, or brandy. ...

Grades

The unofficial grades used to market cognac include:

• VS Very Special or *** (three stars), where the youngest brandy is stored at least three years in cask, but on average a total of five years in cask.
• VSOP Very Special ( or Superior) Old Pale, or Réserve, where the youngest brandy is stored at least four and a half years in cask, but the average wood age is much older.
• XO Extra Old, Cordon Bleu Centeur and Antique, where the youngest brandy is stored at least six and a half years in cask, but average 20 years upwards.

Note: these 'grades' are not official cognac grades (they are appropriate for brandy) and are simply marketing labels used by certain high profile cognac brands. More traditional cognac houses do not use these grades. For other uses, see Brandy (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Brandy (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Brandy (disambiguation). ...

The crus where the grapes were grown can also be used to define the cognac, and give a guide to some of the flavour characteristics of the cognac:

• Grande Champagne (13766 hectares total) Grande Champagne eaux de vie are long in the mouth and powerful, dominated by floral notes. The most prestigious of the crus. "Champagne" means chalky soil, a characteristic shared with the area around Reims where Champagne is produced.
• Petite Champagne (16171 hectares total) Petite Champagne eaux de vie have similar characteristics to those from Grande Champagne, but are in general shorter on the palate.
• Borderies (4160 hectares total) The smallest cru, eaux de vie from the Borderies are the most distinctive, with nutty aromas and flavour, as well as a distinct violet or iris characteristic. Cognacs made with a high percentage of these eaux de vie, for example, "Cordon Bleu" by Martell, are dominated by these very sought-after flavours.
• Fins Bois (34265 hectares total) Heavier and faster ageing eaux de vie suitable for establishing the base of some cognacs. Rounded and fruity, with an agreeable oiliness.
• Bons Bois
• Bois Ordinaires (19979 hectares together with Bons Bois). Further out from the four central growth areas are the Bons Bois and the Bois Ordinaires. With a poorer soil and very much influenced by the maritime climate, this area of 20,000 hectares produces eaux de vie that are less demonstrative and age more quickly. These lesser crus are excluded from blends by some manufacturers.

The growth areas are tightly defined; there exist pockets with soils atypical of the area producing eaux de vie that may have characteristics particular to their location. Hennessy usually uses the unofficial brandy grades for its cognac offerings, but has also produced three single distillery cognacs each with very distinctive flavours arising from the different soils and, to a lesser extent climate. Other cognac houses, such as Moyet, exclusively use the crus to describe their different cognacs. This article is about Champagne, the alcoholic beverage. ...

The top cognac houses also produce premium-level cognacs. These include:

• Extra by Camus is their premium cognac beyond XO containing their oldest cognacs from the Borderies, Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne regions in a distinctive decanter style bottle.
• Louis XIII by Rémy Martin is composed of more than 1,200 of the finest eaux-de-vie aged a minimum 55 years (usually 65-100+) in very old Limousin oak barrels, presented in exclusively hand made Baccarat crystal decanter, and individually numbered and owner registered.
• Richard Hennessy - produced by Hennessy, 'Richard' is a blend of over 100 eaux-de-vie aged up to 200 years. It is sold in a Baccarat crystal blackman and is named after the founder of the company.
• L'Esprit de Courvoisier - Courvoisier's leading cognac, presented in a hand-cut Lalique decanter, blended from eaux-de-vie up to 200 years old, and individually numbered.
• Moyet Antiques - Moyet's Très Vieille Fine Champagne and Très Vieille Grand Champagne cognacs blended from some barrels over 150 years old, individually numbered and signed by the cellar master.

Camus is a brand of Cognac that has been produced by five generations of the Camus family since 1863 when Jean-Baptiste Camus decided to organize a group of producers to sell a high quality Cognac under the brand La Grande Marque. Initial sales to England went so well with... Borderies is a district in France known for its cognac. ... A brandy snifter A cognac pot still Cognac, named after the town of Cognac in France, is a brandy, which is produced in the region surrounding the town. ... Petite Champagne is a French district known for its cognac. ... The bottle comes in this silk-lined presentation box. ... Rémy Martin is a cognac (a brandy from the Cognac region of France) and champagne cognac (a sparkling brandy from the tiny Champagne Cognac region of France) originally produced by Rémy Martin, a French winemaker, who founded the company in 1724. ... This article is about the modern French region of Limousin. ... Baccarat Crystal is a manufacturer of fine crystal located in Baccarat, France. ... Bottle of Hennessy XO Cognac Hennessy is one of the oldest and most famous manufacturers of cognac, a type of French distilled wine, or brandy. ... Baccarat Crystal is a manufacturer of fine crystal located in Baccarat, France. ... A bottle of Courvoisier VS cognac Courvoisier is a type of cognac. ... Illuminated automobile hood ornament in the form of a rooster by René Jules Lalique René Jules Lalique was born in Ay, Marne, France on April 6, 1860, and died May 5, 1945. ... Moyet is a type of very fine cognac. ...

Brands

Brands of cognac include:

• A. E. Dor
• Bache-Gabrielsen
• Braastad
• Brillet
• Bisquit
• CMG Cognac
• Camus
• Chateau Beaulon
• Chateau Montifaud
• Chateau des Plassons
• Courvoisier
• Delamain
• Dupuy
• Francet
• Frapin
• Gaston de Casteljac
• Gautier
• Godet
• Grönstedts
• Guerbé
• Hennessy
• Hine
• Jaques Delorme
• Jean Fillioux
• Jules Gautret
• Kelt
• Landy
• Larsen
• Lautrec
• Leopold Gourmel
• Louis Royer
• Maison Surrenne
• Maxime Trijol
• Martell
• Meukow
• Moyet
• Otard
• Paul Giraud
• Paul Monier
• Pierre Ferrand
• Planat
• Prince Hubert de Polignac
• Prunier
• Ragnaud-Sabourin
• Rémy Martin
• Tesseron
• Origin

Braastad is known as a cognac brand, also known as Tiffon. ... Camus is a brand of Cognac that has been produced by five generations of the Camus family since 1863 when Jean-Baptiste Camus decided to organize a group of producers to sell a high quality Cognac under the brand La Grande Marque. Initial sales to England went so well with... A bottle of Courvoisier VS cognac Courvoisier is a type of cognac. ... Delamain is an independent producer of Cognac based in Jarnac, France. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... Gaston de Casteljac is a French brandy of premium Cognac (drink). ... Bottle of Hennessy XO Cognac Hennessy is one of the oldest and most famous manufacturers of cognac, a type of French distilled wine, or brandy. ... Hine is a leading manufacturer of cognac. ... This article is about the European people. ... Landy is the first bridge conventional defense against over opponents 1NT opening and one of first conventions ever introduced. ... Martell is a leading manufacturer of Cognac, founded by Jean Martell in 1715. ... Moyet is a type of very fine cognac. ... Rémy Martin is a cognac (a brandy from the Cognac region of France) and champagne cognac (a sparkling brandy from the tiny Champagne Cognac region of France) originally produced by Rémy Martin, a French winemaker, who founded the company in 1724. ... Look up origin in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Cognac and Hip-hop culture

Since the early 1990s, cognac has seen a significant transformation in its American consumer base, from a predominantly older, affluent white demographic to a younger, urban, and significantly black consumer. Cognac has become ingrained in hip-hop culture, celebrated in songs by artists ranging from Tupac Shakur to Busta Rhymes to Lil Jon and Jay-Z, among many others. It is estimated that between 60% and 80% of the American cognac market now comprises African American consumers, the majority of whom have indicated in studies that the endorsement of popular musical artists is a key factor in their preference for the drink[1], which also spawned its nickname 'Yak' (or 'Yack'). Moreover, Pernod-Ricard, the maker of Martell, has acknowledged that "the USA is the biggest market for cognac and African-Americans are a priority target"[2] Many have credited hip-hop culture as the savior of cognac sales in the USA; after nearly floundering in 1998 due to economic crisis in Asia—cognac's main export market at the time—sales of cognac increased to approximately $US 1 billion in America in 2003[3], a growth paralleled by (but not necessarily related to) hip-hop's rise into the mainstream of American music. Hip hop is a subculture, which is said to have begun with the work of DJ Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, and Afrika Bambaattaa. ... Tupac Amaru Shakur (June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known by his stage names 2Pac, Makaveli, or simply as Pac, was an American artist renowned for his rap music, movie roles, poetry, and his social activism. ... Trevor Smith (born on May 20, 1972), better known as Busta Rhymes, is an American hip hop musician and actor. ... Jonathan Mortimer Smith[1] (born January 27, 1971)[2], better known by his stage name Lil Jon, is an American rapper, hype man, and producer. ... Jay-Z (aka the Jigga, HOV and Hova, born Shawn Carter on December 4, 1970 in Brooklyn, New York) is an African American rapper/hip hop artist and record label executive; one of the most popular and successful rappers of the late 1990s and early 2000s. ... Pernod Ricard (Euronext: RI) is a French company producing alcoholic beverages. ... Martell is a leading manufacturer of Cognac, founded by Jean Martell in 1715. ... For other uses, see Asia (disambiguation). ...

Popularity with Kim Jong-il

North Korean madman Kim Jong-il imports and drinks cognac while his people starve in the countryside and die in his concentration camps.

External links

• cognacnet.com Page by the American cognac-lover Mac A. Andrew, who died in 2001. Adopted by le-cognac.com, a new layout was recently announced and should be on line soon*le-cognac.com Page by Amélie and Chantal Firino-Martell with links to many cognac manufacturers and very informative. Mainly information, but also with a shop offering cognac.
• cognac-world.com Page by Jean-Louis Née. Informative page with constantly updated news about everything related to cognac.
• cognacguide.com English page Page by Ralph Wagner with information and forum for buying decision, purchase sources, literature and evaluation of Cognac and everything related. Database of cognac prices and sources.
• BNIC Page of the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac, the authority guarding the manufacturing of all cognac. Here you can find a list of all cognac producers.
• http://cognacguide.ru/eng/index.php Informational resource about cognac: how to drink cognac, history of cognac, how cognac is made, classification of cognacs, city Cognac.
• CIEDV: International Centre for Spirits and Liqueurs

Companies

Cognac is mainly sold by trading houses. Some of them were founded centuries ago, and still dominate the market today.

• Bache-Gabrielsen
• Birkedal Hartmann
• Camus Cognac
• Courvoisier
• Delamain
• Grönstedts
• Guerbé
• Hennessy
• Hine
• KELT
• Larsen
• Louis-Royer
• Martell
• Maxime Trijol
• Moyet
• Otard
• Pierre Ferrand
• Rémy Martin
• Renault
• Meukow

Camus is a brand of Cognac that has been produced by five generations of the Camus family since 1863 when Jean-Baptiste Camus decided to organize a group of producers to sell a high quality Cognac under the brand La Grande Marque. Initial sales to England went so well with... A bottle of Courvoisier VS cognac Courvoisier is a type of cognac. ... Delamain is an independent producer of Cognac based in Jarnac, France. ... Bottle of Hennessy XO Cognac Hennessy is one of the oldest and most famous manufacturers of cognac, a type of French distilled wine, or brandy. ... Martell is a leading manufacturer of Cognac, founded by Jean Martell in 1715. ... Moyet is a type of very fine cognac. ... Rémy Martin is a cognac (a brandy from the Cognac region of France) and champagne cognac (a sparkling brandy from the tiny Champagne Cognac region of France) originally produced by Rémy Martin, a French winemaker, who founded the company in 1724. ...

Cognac-based drinks

• Grand Marnier
• Pineau des Charentes: A sweet aperitif, composed of eau-de-vie and grape must, made in the Charente region

Grand Marnier is a liqueur created in 1880 by Alexandre Marnier-Lapostolle. ... Pineau des Charentes, (Pineau Charentais, or simply Pineau) is an alcoholic aperitif drink, made from a blend of unfermented grape must and Cognac brandy. ... For must meaning compulsion, see wikt:must. ... Charente (Saintongeais: Chérente, Occitan: TCharanto) is a department in central France named after the Charente River. ...

See also

Cocktails with brandy or cognac Wikibooks Bartending has a page on the topic of Cocktails A cocktail is a style of mixed drink made predominantly with a distilled beverage, such as vodka, gin, whiskey, rum, or tequila, mixed with another drink other than water. ...

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Cognac

• Cognac official site Bureau National Interprofessionel du Cognac