All Cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is Cognac!

 

Brandy is a term applied to spirit distilled from grapes, however brandy can be made from any fruit source. Most brandies are grape based but are also made from apples, pears, cherries and other fruits.

 

The word brandy comes from the Dutch word ‘branewijn’ meaning burnt wine. Wine brandies are always aged in oak casks as this adds colour, flavour and aroma. Many brandies are aged for many years the best are usually aged for up to 30 years. The main producers of brandies are France, Spain, Italy and Greece.

 

France produces the two most famous grape brandies, Cognac and Armagnac; these names refer to the areas in France where the brandies are produced.

 

Cognac

 

The majority of well-known Cognac brands do not own any vineyards; in fact they will buy the new cognac (eaux de vie) from various distillers and then age it in their own warehouses and then blend them to their own specifications. (See below)

The production of Cognac is centred round the two towns of Jarnac and Cognac. These are situated in the valley of the river Charente around sixty miles from Bordeaux and about the same distance from the Atlantic coast.

 

There are six areas of production:

 

Grande Champagne - this area produces the finest cognacs, which are usually matured for longer than other cognacs.

Petite Champagne - this area three quarter surrounds grand champagne and produces cognacs similar to the above but generally have less body.

Borderies - this area lies just outside the Grand and petite areas and produces lighter, mellower spirit.

Fins Bois - this area completely surrounds the other three and produces fast maturing spirit.

Bon Bois - this area surrounds the fins bois and produces reasonable quality cognacs.

Bois Ordinaires - this area produces the lowest quality cognacs.

 

Note: Some Cognacs are known as Fine Champagne Cognac, this means that they contain only brandies from Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne with at least 50% of Grande Champagne.

 

NB: The word Champagne has no connection with the French fizzy wine of the same name, the word means ‘chalk’ in Latin’. They both have the same chalky soil that is very good for growing certain grapes.
 

Armagnac

Armagnac comes from the south west of France in an area called Gascony. Production of the brandy probably started in the 15th century but due to the area having no major rivers full-scale export did not start until the 19th century. Like many of the world’s spirits, Armagnac started as a medicinal tonic distilled by monks and apothecaries.

 

The production is centred round the town of Condom, so they tend to have to replace the signs around the town quite often.

Armagnac uses the same three grapes as Cognac; the colombard, folle blanche and the ugni blanc as well as others such as Bacco 22A (a hybrid grape developed especially for armagnac production but it will be phased out over the next few years) but unlike Cognac the wine is obtained without added yeast’s.

 

The wine is left on its lees, which gives the brandy a fuller aroma and a fruitier flavour. Armagnac is divided into three production zones:

Bas Armagnac, has a sand and clay soil which produces brandies that are fine, light, fruity and of a very high quality.

Tenareze, has chalky clay soil which produces powerful, robust and flavourful brandies perfectly suited for blending.

 
Haut Armagnac, is hardly used in the production of Armagnac due to the wines being unsuitable for distillation.
 
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