Information

Visiting the Cognac Region is a great way to learn more about Cognac, especially when you visit some Cognac distillers with their great and interactive tours…
On YouTube I found two HD movies from Remy Martin and Baron Otard, where the tour is almost completely shot. It is an easy and inexpensive way to learn much about Cognac and these brands in general!
Enjoy!

This year it’s early harvesting time in the Cognac region! Some producers even already harvested last week, such as Cognac Pinard, which harvested their vintage 2011 Folle Blanche grapes last Thursday 25th of August.
Last year, the major producers begun harvesting in the third week of September, this time it’s about 3 weeks earlier.
How does this early harvesting come, the weather hasn’t been great this summer? Well, it’s all because of the mild weather in the winter and the warm spring….

In the Cognac-region, Brûlot Charentais (La Flamme des Anges or Angel’s Flames) is a typical way to end a meal.
The delicious combination of fine quality Cognac, rich brown coffee and beautiful blue flames provides a memorable end to a special evening.
Brûlot Charentais brightens up every occasion in something special, for example when you celebrate Christmas or a birthday.

If you like Irish Coffee, you would love the French variance on it with Cognac. See in this post how can make this delicious after dinner drink!
The French Coffee drink is made from cognac, brown sugar, hot coffee and whipped cream, and served in a wine or irish coffee glass.

Rémy Martin’s Louis XIII Cognac is ripened for a very long period of time in beautiful cellars, possibly therefore the taste of this Cognac is so wonderful! Have a quick look on these beautiful cellar-pictures!

Cognac is currently very popular, especially among Asian-countries. The recent price increase with Cognac is less well known. Maybe the price increase has something to do with the French who drink less Cognac.
Thanks to information from an insider in the Cognac-world I can tell how many percent per hectolitre Cognac increased in value in comparing to one year (February 2011 compared to February 2010) ago.

In these two beautiful video you get an idea how Cognac gets destillated.
Short introduction: after the grapes are pressed, the juice is left to ferment for two or three weeks, with the region’s native, wild yeasts converting the sugar into alcohol; neither sugar nor sulfur may be added. At this point, the resulting wine is about 7 to 8% alcohol.
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 …

In this article I will answer a interesting question from a visitor, which maybe others are facing as well.
Q: On the internet I just can not find information about the difference between a XO and Napoleon. They should have the same maturation, but many makers sell a Napoleon and XO. How old is an average Napoleon? Is always above VSOP and Napoleon?

Vintage Cognacs are a great gift, to give a loved one! And opposed to wine, you can keep Cognac for ever!
But how do you know what brand made a vintage cognac in the year you are searching for?
CognacFans.com now offers an extensive vintage Cognac list you can find a Vintage Cognac of nearly each year you are looking for!

To be sold to the public, a Cognac must have been aged in oak cask for at least two years counting from the end of the distillation period, that is April 1st of the year following the harvest. Once bottled, a Cognac, unlike wine, doesn’t evolve anymore. Therefore it retains the same age indefinitely.
The executive decision of August 23, 1983 codified the use of the designations based on the length of ageing of the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend.