AG Pick: Waterstone Study in Blue 2007

When trying to describe the fruit flavors in a red wine it may help to start with identifying the color that best matches the taste. You might think of a lighter bodied wine like Pinot Noir as being “red,” and from there say it has red fruit flavors of cherries, strawberries or raspberries. A medium [...]

How Oak Barrels are Made

A Tour Inside Vicard Cooperage Oak barrels play an important role in the production of wine and eau de vie. Go inside Vicard Cooperage in Cognac, France for a look at how barrels are made. The process of making a barrel starts with the oak tree. Seventy five percent of Vicard’s barrels are made with [...]

Pineau des Charentes: Aperitif of Cognac

Pineau des Charentes is a sweet fortified wine produced in the Charente and Charente-Maritime departments in France. It is a blend of Cognac and grape juice that is most often enjoyed as an aperitif. The juice comes from grapes that are used to make wine. For white Pineau, grapes including Ugni Blanc, Colombard or Folle [...]

A Visit to Chateau de Beaulon

About 30 miles southwest of Cognac in the commune of Saint-Dizant-du-Gua in Charente-Maritime is Château de Beaulon. The château was built in 1480, with eau de vie production on the estate dating to 1720.  From 1543 to 1574 the home belonged to Francois de Beaulon, Lord of Saint-Dizant and advisor to the Bordeaux Parliament.  Today [...]

ABK6: Cognac for a New Generation

Flashy labels. A name derived from typing. A blend specially created for sipping on the rocks. This isn’t your grandfather’s Cognac. With a mix of tradition and modernity, ABK6 is bringing the French spirit to a new generation. It starts with the name — ABK6 is one of those internet short-hands, like OMG or LOL. [...]

A Visit to Hennessy

You can’t talk about Cognac without mentioning Hennessy. It is the big daddy of Cognac, making up 43% of Cognac production. As a comparison, the next largest producer is Remy Martin at 17 percent. Hennessy dominates the market, but also makes it possible for the smaller producers to exist.  Hennessy buys a large portion of [...]

Grape to Glass: How Cognac is Made

It begins each spring with bud break, and goes well beyond the fall harvest. So much goes into producing Cognac that within each glass you can taste the essence of the grape, the history of aged eaux de vie and the talents of a master blender. Here is an overview of how Cognac is made: [...]