This document provides information about cognac and brandy making through a presentation. It discusses the double distillation process, aging in oak barrels, differences between cognac and armagnac, terroir classifications, history of the industry, and tasting techniques. The presentation aims to educate people on cognac to appreciate the craft behind very pricey wines and spirits.

1. A taste Of COgnaCA taste Of COgnaC
@DevsLoveBacon - @abelar_s - maitre-du-monde.fr
Flickr - CC - PictrOneX
Thanks everyone.
I’m so glad to be here, everyone is so amazing.
Oh, and please drink responsibly, don’t drink and drive, and mind your health.

2. Flickr - CC - PictrOneX
COgnaC & brandieS
Cognac and brandies
Reading the label
Land & History
Making Of
Tasting
Q&A?
Why this topic?
My grandfather is a winemaker, I heard about very pricey wines,
and I wondered how can someone sell this, and any one could buy it.
Such a great wine would be wasted on me: I can’t appreciate it.
So I tried to educate myself.

3. brand wijn
© BNIC - phototheque.cognac.fr
Still head
Boiler
Swan neck
Wine heater
Coiled pipe
Cooling head
Alcohol measurement
The key is double distillation.

4. © BNIC - phototheque.cognac.fr
Cognac vs. Armagnac
Flickr - CC - PictrOneX
Difference between Cognac and Armagnac.
Also double-distillation, but a different place and pot still.
Cognac got a huge boost in trade thanks to the river Charente,
access to the Armagnac region was much more difficult.

5. AgeS & CriteriA
Flickr - CC - Dino8
Cognac and brandies
Reading the label
Land & History
Making Of
Tasting
Q&A?
Just like whiskies, Cognacs are a blend
There are no rules, sometimes you got a single blend, most often, not.
When mixing spirits, what’s on the label is the youngest and less noble.

6. Aging
© BNIC - Jean-Yves Boyer
Aging: taking color and aroma from the barrel
A cognac stops aging once it’s in the bottle
(actually, it takes a few months to settle... Maître de Chai must require impressive mastery)
Angels’ share: alcoholic degree decreases as alcohol evaporates
Paradise: most wineries keep a «library» of old spirits in their caves

7. Champagne?
Cognac Grande Champagne
Cognac Petite Champagne
Cognac Borderies
Cognac Fins Bois
Cognac Bons Bois
Cognac Bois Ordinaires
Armagnac
© BNIC - phototheque.cognac.fr
Why are you writing Champagne on a Cognac’s bottle?
Well, it’s actually some regions around cognac, from most to least noble.

8. lAnd & hiStORy
Flickr - CC - Dino8
Cognac and brandies
Reading the label
Land & History
Making Of
Tasting
Q&A?

9. History
Flickr - CC - PictrOneX
Commerce treaty with the UK in 1860
Huge expansion until 1879
Phylloxera (parasite) hit hard in France, mostly in 1866 (actually lasted until 1894)
So our grapes are now mostly Ugni Blanc and other, Phylloxera-resistant vines from the US

10. Commerce
Flickr - CC - PictrOneX
90% of all Cognac gets exported in 160 countries

11. nAtuRe & CRaft
Cognac and brandies
Reading the label
Land & History
Making Of
Tasting
Q&A?
Flickr - CC - Dino8

12. Grapes
Flickr - CC - TheCulinaryGeek
http://www.flickr.com/photos/preppybyday/5076313963/sizes/o/in/photostream/
Why grapes? A fruit with sugary juice and the right bacteria on the skin.
What’s wine? So when you crush the fruit, fermentation does its job.
What’s Pineau? Someone stored Cognac with grape must. Yummy :)

13. Barrels
Flickr - CC - Katdaned
http://www.flickr.com/photos/katdaned/3543185943/sizes/l/in/photostream/
Charred oak barrels that give the smells, aromas, color and some taste

14. Wineries
Flickr - CC - David Boujenah
http://www.flickr.com/photos/boudj/2198526164/sizes/z/in/photostream/
Wineries are caves with blackened walls (that’s actually a mushroom)

15. Glasses
© BNIC - Andrew Thomas
Tulip Glasses so you can warm the cognac with your hand, and it keeps aromas in

16. See, Smell, taSte
Cognac and brandies
Reading the label
Land & History
Making Of
Tasting
Q&A?
Flickr - CC - Dino8

17. Serve
© BNIC - Roger Cantagrel
Let it breathe and warm it with your hand
at about 30s/year of age (yes, that makes 5mn for 10yo)

18. Swirl
© BNIC - Stéphane Charbeau
Swirl it and look at the color, and tears/legs

19. Nose
© BNIC - Gérard Martron
Bring it closer to your nose while savouring the smells

20. © BNIC - Gérard Martron
Nose
As it ages, it smells and tastes of fruits, flowers, woods and spice!

21. Taste - Fruits
Les p
© BNIC - Gérard Martron
Take small sips

22. Taste - Flowers
© BNIC - Gérard Martron
Wait between the sips

23. Taste - Woods
© BNIC - Gérard Martron
Let it deploys aromas

24. Taste - Spices
© BNIC - Gérard Martron
Savour the aftertaste

25. Pairings
© BNIC - Gérard Martron
Pineau is already a pairing: grape must + cognac
Grand Marnier is cognac + Cointreau (itself a triple-distillation of sour oranges)
Have a cognac with a cigar, coffee, chocolate...

26. tAStinG!
Vieux Pineau Blanc (grape must + cognac)
a nice introduction to tastes you should look for
VS (2.5yo) + Schweppes Raisin
young cognac is perfect for long drinks
VSOP (6~9yo) + ice cubes
rich but not too much aftertase
XO (10~20yo)
notice the longer taste
Flickr - CC - Dino8
Thanks so much to the WestCo asso guys and Athanor cognac, you rock!

27. ‣ Reference
phototheque.cognac.fr
conference.cognac.fr
‣ France
@westco: an association
BNIC: the official Bureau
but you should come
and visit us anyway ;)
‣ London
BNIC & Phipps PR
Details & Thanks
Bureau National
interprofessionnel
du Cognac
Thanks to everyone who helped me get in contact with the right people!

28. Thank you!
QuestionS? @abelar_s
maitre-du-monde.fr
Flickr - CC - Dino8
Soupe de champagne : 1d VS, 4d champagne, 1d lime, 1d cane syrup
Morignac: 1/2 cognac, 1/2 perrier, crushed ice, crushed mint, sugar
Pink Love: 2d cognac, 1d raspberry liquor (Chambord), 9d champagne. 1 raspberry
Summit: green lime + ginger, 2cl VSOP. Press, put ice. 2cl more VSOP, 6cl lemonade and cucumber skin
And so much more... invite your own!

29. Flickr - CC - PictrOneX
Main Houses
‣ Hennessy
- Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy
‣ Rémy Martin
- Rémy Cointreau
‣ Martell
- Pernod Ricard
‣ Courvoisier
- Beam Inc.
‣ Camus
- family-owned
‣ Otard
- Bacardi

30. ‣ PictrOneX
http://www.flickr.com/photos/s9500/
‣ Dino8 (Bernard Fumeau)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
65073487@N00/
‣ Padorange
http://www.flickr.com/photos/
padorange/galleries/
72157625623478890
FlickR + CC-By
Flickr - CC - Dino8
Finding great pictures is hard. Thanks!