Cognac

Cognac is a strong alcoholic drink produced from the Ugni Blanc grape variety (less commonly from Folle Blanche, Colombard and Montils). Ugni Blanc is characterized by high yield and resistance to diseases that affect vineyards.

The drink got its name from the city of Cognac, the region of Poitou - Charente, the department of Charente, France. The geographical boundaries of the area where it is allowed to produce cognac, and the technology of production are strictly standardized and fixed at the legislative level. Drinks produced outside France or region Charente, do not have the right to be called cognac, and are called brandy.

There is an opinion that the history of the drink dates back to the XI century, when the city of Cognac was a major center for trading salt. Dutch sailors bought salt and local wine. Soon the wine began to enjoy great demand. Attempts began to improve the drink production process to increase the storage period of barrel wine in sea voyages. For this purpose, distillation was already used in the XVII century, which not only increased the shelf life of the product, but also improved its taste qualities.

For the production of cognac, the Ugni Blanc grape variety is not used for nothing, because over the centuries of the drink's existence, many other varieties have been tried, some of which were almost completely destroyed by diseases. Grape juice is fermented and distilled twice in a distillation cube, and then the distillate is put for several years in charred oak barrels.

The most famous brands: Courvoisier, Hennessy, Martell, Rémy Martin, Camus.