Cognac is called the king of drinks. Cognac is "registered" in the Charente region, located in the south-west of France, around the small town of Cognac, which gave the name to this drink. The original taste of real cognac, despite numerous attempts, has not been reproduced, since its main secret is in the land rich in chalk in the vicinity of the city of Cognac, on which the grapes used for the production of cognacs grew.
From the foregoing, we can conclude that our recognized Georgian, Armenian, Moldovan cognacs are not. Cognac can only be French, all other so-called cognacs are nothing more than brandy, that is, a product obtained by distilling a wide variety of fermented fruits and fruit juices.
The geographical boundaries of the area in which cognac production is allowed, the production technology and the very name "Cognac" are strictly defined, regulated and secured by numerous legislative acts. Even spirits produced in France outside the Charente region (even if they are obtained by distillation of grape wines produced in the Poitou-Charente region) do not have the right to be called cognac on the international market.
It is generally accepted that "Napoleon" is the name of cognac. However, this is not so, it is just a designation of the aging period, which, on average, for a given variety of cognac is 8–12 years. However, many manufacturers have limited the release of this variety, since a lot of its imitations have recently appeared.
Traditionally, cognac is considered a man's drink. This, of course, is true, but it turns out that there is also a special women's cognac produced by the Munier cognac house. For this cognac, only the softest and most aromatic cognac spirits were selected, aged in oak barrels from six to thirty years. Experts note the maturity and nobility of this drink, a light honey aroma and a slightly sweeter taste than ordinary male cognac.
The main white grape variety from which brandy is produced is trebbiano (ugni blanc), a slow-ripening variety with high acidity, high yield and disease resistance. In addition to ugni blanc, to a lesser extent, varieties of folle blanche, colombard and montil are grown and used in the production of cognac. They produce more fragrant and richer spirits than ugni blanc, but are very difficult to grow.
A good cognac is always perfectly transparent, has a deep, “bright” color, a clear, fragrant and persistent bouquet, a complex and infinitely pleasant smell.
We can only wish that you have the opportunity to enjoy real cognac, and not numerous fakes.
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