Cognac
Jan 01, 2018
Cognac was accidentally produced at a time when merchants tried to do tax evasion between France and Netherland.
Back in the 16th, the Dutch exported from France salt, wood and wine. The journey back made it almost impossible to conserve good quality wines and they had to find a new way to transport the barrels. At that time, the taxes were assessed on the volume of wine. So the Dutch came out with a solution of distilling the wine before taking it back home. Doing so they would preserve the wine, save on transportation costs and obviously reduce the taxes.
But a funny thing happened. While transforming the wine into a spirit, a whole new world of flavors was given to the wine. It was not only a dense wine as it was intended to be but something way more complex and fine. Heating up and distilling a second time the first distillate, and they came up with an even more pleasant product.
This is the birth of “brandy”.
Actually the word brandy comes from the Dutch “brandewijn” which mean burnt wine.
Cognac is now exported all over the world and its production is under a set of strict rules and guidelines (called AOC).
Cognac is named after the small town of Cognac, north of Bordeaux region, and can only be produced in the surrounding vineyards. To be called a Cognac, the brandy must meet certain requirements and one of them is the use of specific white grape varieties (Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, and Colombard) and it has to be aged at least two years in French oak barrels to be called V.S.
What does it mean? Below the answer.
- V.S. (Very Special): Aged at least 2 years
- V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale): Aged at least 5 years
- Napoleon or X.O. (Extra Old): Aged at least 6 years
The French Cellar WineMag: click here to read more articles, terms, tips and advice!
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