Cognac
Situated 80 miles north of Bordeaux the origins of Cognac go back to the 16th century Dutch traders rather than the French themselves – distillation was a method of preserving wine bought in France unable to survive the journey home and brandwijn or ‘burnt wine’ took hold.
The following centuries saw a structure form in the region and sales channels were founded in Great Britain, Europe, USA and Asia. From the 18th century onwards the companies most closely associated with the very finest Cognacs started to establish themselves with names such as Delemain, Hine, Remy Martin and Tesseron all gaining reputations for excellence.
90% of Cognac’s production is made from the somewhat humble Ugni Blanc grape which normally makes fairly simple, still, white wine, but with a painstaking attention to detail throughout the distillation, maturation and blending process we see nothing short of a metamorphosis into a rich and complex liquor renowned the world over.
