Journey to Cognac

Arrival

It’s lightly raining. Off and on here and there. The perfect choice weather for me to enter Europe for the first time. Flying “over the pole” up through the top of the United States, over the Great Lakes, Hudson Bay and eventually above Greenland, I couldn’t help thinking of one of my favorite movies, “Smilla’s Sense of Snow”. France gives one the feeling of an older world, like I stepped back in time. I looked forward to it. The mist and clouds followed us on the flight from Amsterdam to Bordeaux, landing safely after an hour or so in the air. It was mid-afternoon, and our shuttle to the town of Cognac was a nice drive through the country for another short ride.

I flew overnight from Los Angeles with three guys from Grape Radio; Jay Selman, Mark Ryan and Eric Anderson. Nicole Sizemore flew out of New York and met up with us at the Bordeaux train station, taking the train in from Paris. Working for the Cognac Bureau US /Carbonnier Communications, she set up the press trip for us, while associates from the BNIC (Bureau National Interprofessional Du Cognac) worked out our weeks’ touring program and daily itinerary. I was asked to come along as the journalist/mixologist for the trip, while Grape was assembling video footage and interviews for what is now the James Beard Award-winning Cognac documentary “The Art of Blending”, which can be viewed on this section.

Arriving in the village of Cognac, we were dropped off at the Hotel Heritage. It was so quiet, even if it was a Sunday. Odd that we left Los Angeles on Saturday early evening. Time changes I was used to, but entire day changes? A trip of this kind was long overdue. After some refreshing in our rooms, we met downstairs and walked to the centre of the village for a wonderful dinner at the restaurant Garden Ice. Here we had our first taste of the Summit Cocktail, made up of fresh ginger, lime, Cognac, lemonade, and a peel of cucumber. A great beginning of things to come!

After dinner, we took a walk around the village in the fresh night air and eventually found our way down to the Charente River, close to the bridge. We stayed for a while then headed back to the hotel as the mist was turning to rain. Half way back, looking up in the dark blue sky between the tops of some of the old buildings, we noticed for the first time just how close in proximity the largest of the Cognac brands are. Walking distance to each other like spirit brothers were the neon lights of Remy Martin, Hennessy, Courvoisier, and Martell. These four brands make up 80% of all Cognac sales worldwide. Even though there are close to 200 brands of Cognac, most of them are not exported. Next door, connected to the hotel was the Belle Epoque bar, but it was late and they were closed for the evening. No such luck !

River Town

Cognac is a “Royal City”, with documented shipping to Holland dating back as far as 1200 years ago. There are twin towers that sit on the main street along the edge of the Charente. It was the original entrance into the village as it used to be a fortified city back in the day. Today, Cognac has a population of about 20,000 people. It sits directly North and East of the best vineyards of Bordeaux. And you won’t see people running in the streets to their destinations for the most part. They take their time here.

The Charente River is a 224-mile long stretch where the Cognac barrel boats would take the cargo out to the shipping lanes of the Atlantic Ocean. Hennessy’s longhouse barrel-aging cellars have been by the river since 1765, and is the only brand who’s cellars still remain along the bank of the Charente today. It was easier in the 1700’s for shipping purposes to the major seaports, but it is no longer allowed. Long before, salt was the first early commodity by the river, with under-ground cellars still existing up the streets today.

In the early 1800’s, my great-great grandparents migrated from a town in France called Rosiere, to Northern New York in Jefferson County, an area upstate previously settled by countrymen who came over earlier and purchased a half-million acres in large tracts of land, up near where I was born in the historic Thousand Islands region of the state, close to Lake Ontario, derived from the Iroquois Indian word Kanadario, meaning “sparkling waters” or beautiful lake”. In reading through the family history on my father’s side, many of the Bonapartists driven from France settled there. I also found out that some of my early descendents were soldiers in Napoleon’s army. I guess you could say, for myself, France was a good beginning point.

Day 1

Monday morning’s start of our itinerary began at Cognac Otard, established in 1795. Initially greeted by Karine Aiguillon, heading our tour was Brand Ambassador Nicolas Fagot of Chateau de Cognac. We arrived at the front gates in a van, though I was hoping to ride over on a horse with armor on. Walking in was like entering a castle of spirit, seeing one of the early pot stills from the past, the Governourship of Cognac Otard on the wall, and some tools of the old ways including a historical collection of antique barrel-branding irons.

We were then led into the original banquet/helmet room from the 13th Century. Francis the 1st was born here in September of 1494, and was a close friend of Leonardo Da Vinci, as many artists of the day were invited and made the trek to Cognac. They had some nice threads during the French Revolution ! We made our way up to the main hallway and Estate Room, where the special X-Y ceilings were designed for acoustic purposes. One could stand there in the middle of this long main room and just imagine the dining experience.

The barrel rooms were fascinating as we walked in. The air changed to dry and humid with a bit of a musty quality, the smell of old Cognac in the cellars. Natural for the contents in the room. Seeing the barrel stacks of cognac resting and aging together in their slumber was a beautiful thing. Each cask holds about 95 gallons, or 360 litres. The outside of the barrels are trimmed with sweet chestnut so the bugs stay away from the oak. And nearby, Nicolas showed us an old dungeon where enemies of the King would be sent, after captured, and left forever, never to be heard of again.

Down in the Paradis cellar where the oldest Cognacs in the world are stored, Otard’s stock are placed in 34-liter glass demi-john containers. In this state of now being out of the cask (out of the woods), the aging of the Cognac stops. In the barrel, the wood breathes (air-in/liquid-out), the spirit lives through an evaporating process, with the loss being known as the “Angel’s Share”. Yet it is always transferred into the demi-johns at the perfect time. They look aged and dusty on the outside, but they’re pristine on the inside. The 1795 Extra Old Cognac of Otard was chosen for the G-8 Summit when it was in France.

Heading back upstairs to some other levels, we walked into long rows of larger medium-sized oval-shaped vats that hold Grande Champagne Cognac, with round vats nearby containing Petite Champagne, In another huge room were the big Cognac blending vats. One could only imagine how important the frequency of consistent documentation is with the production and aging, and what’s selected to bottle in any given year.

This was also the first of many tastings we’d be doing throughout the week. In the upstairs tasting room, Nicolas went over with us the varieties, ages and the individual qualities and characteristics of each cognac we’d be sampling. Some of the tasting notes including vanilla, coconut, floral, cocoa, framboise, and rancio were a true pleasure on the palate as we began to learn how to go about enjoying this time-honored spirit, educating us on the tasting properties. The word “Rancio” was explained as the aromas and/or tastes of spicy, honey, hearty, and cinnamon.

There is no distillation in the city. It is only allowed on the outskirts to avoid any major fires where the whole town could be in danger, since many of the Cognac brands are so close to each other, and would be doing their processes at the same time of year. As the harvest stage begins in the months of September and October, when the grapes reach their fullness and maturity, the brands have a legal deadline in the Cognac region to be completed by no later than March 30th. The growing regions total close to 80,000 hectares (approx. 200,000 acres), with thousands of wine growers. A unique aspect of the soil of Cognac is the special yeast that grows there, providing a complete and natural fermentation. Being there in June during the early stage of field growth, I would love to go back again during harvest season.

Just minutes away was our next stop, Cognac Meukow, created in 1862. Pronounced “Moo-Kov”, their logo, the panther, symbolizes beauty, elegance, power, supple and smooth. “Meow” to that ! Welcomed by Celine Coste Viard, we were then introduced to brand area manager, Damien Bertrand, who started us off on our tour. Arriving soon after was the president and owner himself, Mr. Philippe Coste, for a continued visit along with a discussion of some the history, and tasting interview.

Meukow’s old Cognacs in their paradis are wall shelved and tiered, and kept clean on their exteriors. Their demi-johns are each wrapped in a canvas of sorts, covered to protect from the light. The over-sized corks at the top are replaced as needed. Many daily details to maintain. Meukow has 19 pot stills in its distillery, with their grapes harvested just before full ripeness. This exceptional brand happens to be more well known in the Far East markets, which is substantial in itself.

When the tour portion of the visit was finished, we were treated to a taste of an old Cognac from 1893. Quite incredible, aged, complex, and smooth. The expense is worth every drop. When using an alcohol made from grapes instead of a grain, you get much more flavors because it’s a natural fruit. Cognac is a living thing, and during its aging time in the cask it is in permanent contact with the air, allowing it to extract the substances by the Cognac from the wood, called “dry extracts”, altering its physical appearance by giving it both its color and its final bouquet. This maturing process has 3 main phases: extraction, degradation or hydrolysis, and oxidation.

From here, we jumped in a couple company cars and trekked over to restaurant La Courtine on the lake for a creative lunch and further conversation, with wine and Cognac, of course ! A history of sophistication in every glass ! When we got back to the Meukow estate, and before we departed on our next journey of the day, Philippe treated us to the making of a special pan-seared dessert with the use of Cognac as one of the recipe ingredients. Now that’s the way to end a great visit and a wonderful tour ! Thanks so much to everyone at Meukow.

Our final stop on the itinerary for the day took us on a beautiful drive out in the country, to Cognac Frapin, which produces Grande Champagne Cognac only. Entering into the main property, it was easy to recognize how beautiful and manicured the surroundings were kept. Old buildings, but well taken care of. I’ll take this over new and modern any day of the week !

One of the first areas we entered in was the tasting/blending room for the Master Blender, where we met up with Cellar Master, Olivier Paultes, who entered Frapin in 1987 and became the youngest cellar master in France, at 25 years old. Olivier’s father, grandfather, and great grand-father were all cellar masters before him. Filled with natural light, this room helps with the color visualization of the blends, as well as measuring liquid/alcohol weight (density) of a spirit with a specific gauge tool called a hydrometer/alcoholometer. The lower the aging, the more blends you can put together. The higher/longer the aging, the less blends you can put together. With Cognac, everything is important; the level of acidity in the grapes, the wood used from two different forests, in the aging stages, etc. And all that is Cognac comes from Cognac. A complete in-region production, all the way down to the bottling (glass) and labeling (print). Even the corks are different. The oak casks/barrels that Frapin uses are all from the forest of Limousin.

After the video interview that Grape conducted with Olivier, we did a five-sample tasting of their VSOP, Cigar Blend – Premier Grand Cru, Chateau Fontpinot Single Estate XO, VIP XO, and Extra. Walking through the aging rooms, I was fascinated when looking at the large vats, as each are equipped with an exterior liquid measuring bar known as a “Site Glass”, vertically on the front. Hopping into a couple cars with our luggage in the trunks, we then drove out to Frapin’s vineyards, where we met up with the Director of the Domaine, Patrice Piveteau, who talked with us about the care and attention they pay to their grape fields, which when looking out across the land seem to go on forever. In the distance was a castle surrounded by the vineyards. Breath-taking to the eyes, surprisingly enough, ended up being our overnight quarters.

The stunning Chateau de Fontpinot.

Pulling into the entrance gates, we were greeted at the door by the President and CEO, Jean-Pierre Cointreau. The house assistants soon showed us our individual rooms upstairs, and we were to meet a half an hour later, about 7:00 pm, on the second floor living room, along with Olivier, Patrice, Max Cointreau, and other associates for a brief video presentation and tasting before going downstairs to the main dining room for what would turn out to be a spectacular 4-course culinary ensemble, wines red and white, and Cognac ! We engaged in conversation about their history, our backgrounds and interests in knowing more, and future ideas for creative mixology using the spirit in a variety of cocktails for drink appetizers and specialty libations, potential food pairings, and after-dinner.

We concluded our day into night with dessert and some XO, with many thanks and compliments to the chef and everyone for their exquisite hospitality, and a place to stay. Just after everybody left that evening, we realized we were the only five people remaining in the Chateau. I walked outside to the front courtyard for some fresh air in the dark, quiet evening, before turning in. Thinking of the strong potential for otherworldly visitations, I started looking for a candelabra to walk up the spiral staircase with to my corner room on the top floor. They say ghosts seek beings with the path of least resistance. I must have ruined it for them. After a long and busy day, my weary energy had no resistance !

Day 2

Early next morning, the kitchen filled with the scent of breakfast croissants and tea. Like a scene from “The Illusionist”, I was hoping my horse and carriage would be waiting for me outside ! Leaving with our XO Fontpinot gift bags from Frapin which awaited us that morning in an area underneath the staircase, it was sad to have to move on, as we would have loved to have the time to just walk into a sitting room and stare at the outside grounds for two hours, contemplating life. But the bottle itself had an embossed picture of the Chateau on front. Now that’s a memory !

The morning van took us from the country back into the city. Over the bridge and on the other side of the river, we were welcomed into the House of Hennessy by their International Training and Promotion Manager, and our tour/education guide for the day, Jean-Michel Cochet. Hennessy has river boats on both sides, as their main office headquarters are back on the village-side of the river, where we initially started our week. Domed terra cotta tiles cover the rooftops of the longhouse barrel aging cellars located off the water, for gauging degree of temperature and humidity, assisting to some level in the cellars great aromas.

Cognac is the ultimate sleeping spirit. I mean, ask yourself for a moment. Where were you in 1913 ? All of us have the same answer. We weren’t ! Yet, I’m standing here in front of barrels and demi-johns filled with Cognac that have been here the entire time. Amazing history, a bit staggering actually. But this is why so much relies on the handed-down education and know-ledge of the master blenders. There are generations of tasting blenders always in training for the future; two in their 60’s, two in their 50’s, two in their 40’s, and two in their 30’s. Their knowing of when to switch the eau-de-vie from newer barrels that give more color and flavor aging quicker, to the older barrels that take longer to color and age, all due to the breathing qualities and properties of the oak wood, which are water tight, but not air tight. Essential for just the right amount of resting, blending, and aging. The quiet time of marriage together.

Hennessy uses four ages of barrels – 1, 2, 5, and 10 years. On those barrels they still practice the writing art of calligraphy, with initials, names, and dates all written in chalk, reflecting the finesse and strength of ancient times. Part of a long tradition of perfection. Collectively, with all the Cognac brands, the annual evaporation losses from the aging process in the barrels equates to roughly 27 million bottles each year. Close to a wholesale loss (or non-gain) of about a half a billion dollars, if my tumbling is accurate. Though these are serious numbers, it still only results in 2-3 percent of the total Cognac production. In a 2007 report, total Cognac shipments were the equivalent of 174 million bottles, resulting in 5 bottles of Cognac being sold every second throughout the world, representing 1.5 billion euros in France’s trade balance. More than 21,000 people work to produce and market Cognac, sold in more than 100 countries.

After a boat ride up the river, we headed back to the village-side and entered the main building of Hennessy headquarters. So much history ! Jean-Michel took us up to the museum section for a look at both the past and the present, including a tools of mixology exposition dedicated to professional bartenders of the culinary art everywhere, old bar books, historic antique cocktail shakers, and the like. The perfect timing and resting place for my new and unique gift to Jean-Michel and the Hennessy Museum, my latest bar product release, the “Original Cocktail Art Custom Drink Recipe Cards” – Volume 1 Box set of 50. If I wasn’t before, I am now officially in the annals of bar and cocktail history, in Europe !

Enter the tasting room, with the Director of Research and Enology, Mr. Laurent Lozano. Complete with our own individual spittoons, we were ready to go with eyes and ears open. We began with a spread of 10 different gradations on each of our desktops. Starting with the young, colorless eau-de-vie, and ending with the darker, most-aged Cognacs. Eau-de-vie, said Laurent, “is the beginning, just distilled spirit, before aging begins. The child spirit that grows over time”. This is where you can really notice the tasting and aroma variance, the subtle characteristics. But it starts at tasting glass #2, as the #1 eau-de-vie is the unaged “fire strength” spirit at about 140 proof / 70 % ABV. The distinct tasting notes I recognized with #4 really hit home with me (medicinal, floral, cocoa) as far as a stronger understanding or sensing of the true differences between floral, fruity, woody, and rancio (spicy).

With the nurturing of the grapes during the daylight hours (Solar Time), I couldn’t help but to question what benefits the night hours (Lunar Time) may have on the grapes and vines, and the Earth. My guess is the same as when the eau-de-vie is aging in an oak cask for designated periods of time. It’s sleeping in the dark. In the daytime is when the Sun’s active energies are nourishing the fruit, alive in the fields. In the blue nighttime sky is when the cooling and resting energies take over, to prepare for the next day’s growth of activity, all the way to harvest.

After our tasting class, it was time for some nourishment ourselves. In the van again we went, with lunch being offered by Hennessy at their fabulous guest house, the Chateau de Bagnolet. These are more like “guest mansions”, a little different than the American version of a guest house. With sprawling grounds in the backyard all the way to the water nearby, it was complete with a bartender on the outdoor patio preparing Cognac cocktails for us before we went in to eat. Very refreshing start, before yet another superb 4-course meal. We should all live like this !

Right across from the front drive/entry way through a gated entrance, were the vast Hennessy grape vineyards. Many thanks to Jean-Michel and his exceptional service staff, for an incredible afternoon of food, drink, conversation, and education. And by the way, Laurent came in on crutches from injuring a knee during a soccer match. We appreciate and applaud his extra effort.

Between the Hammer and the Anvil

Off we went back out to the country for a 30-minute drive, which was a very pleasant respite in itself. Heading toward the next stop on our tour, we arrived for a 1½ hour visit with the manufacturer of Cognac’s alembic pot stills, Alambic Pruhlo, and their Commercial Director, Philippe Tizon. Walking in and observing from a distance for the first couple minutes, we learned that the artisanal method of building them from scratch hasn’t changed in close to 200 years. Though all stills are made from intense manual labor, there’s something to say about that homemade feel in the end product.

Hammering into shapes and design sizes for the different parts involved is a precise and methodical process. Stills are made of copper, and all the copper used in production comes from Chile. The ability of making the copper, and therefore the still, a very pure piece, is obtained by electrolysis, treated to tighten its pores, increase its mechanical resistance, and make it smoother and easier to clean. The smoothing out of even the slightest inside bumps, again with a gentle but strong finesse with the hammer, is essential in the overall completion of each piece. Years of experience helps to feel where to gently hammer when you can’t always see where you’re hitting.

The bottom pot is 12mm thick, for a good quality of heating. The middle and top dome of the onion-shaped still is 3mm thick. All in all, this results in a better quality product and eau-de-vie. Put together by two rows of rivets very close, the holes are drilled about 1-1¼ inches apart. Then you have the condenser, the connector tube, and the serpentine copper cooling coils. They first finish the full assembly here at the main production plant, then do the liquid testing at both extreme temperatures, as water quality is very important to the spirits. From there, they dis-assemble, ship by truck to the distiller/client, then re-assembled on site. Each alembic pot still system costs approximately 100,000 euros. Thanks to Philippe and his impressive and patient working staff, for allowing us in to observe and learn during their regular, daily production load.

On our way back into town, we spirits travelers arrived at the next and final stop for the day, at the estate of Courvoisier Cognac. Welcomed by Trade and PR Manager, Jennifer Szersnovicz, and Director of Operations, Patrice Pinet, we were given keys to check into our rooms and to meet back downstairs in 30 minutes for the start of the tour and tasting. Very nice accommodations, and again I had a corner room, with a beautiful overlook of the Charente River.

We started out with a walk-through of Courvoisier’s museum section, where you see many old tools and artifacts used in the past. What I noticed at the far end of the room was a large glass-encased sample of an in-depth look at the chalky, rocky, limestone earth where the grapevines are nurtured for Cognac. Yet, the specific grape varieties of mostly ugni blanc and maybe a small amount of colombard are what work best for the aging into Cognac, as they have good levels of acidity and are low in alcohol content. Sauvignon blanc and chardonnay grapes don’t work well for aging as a Cognac, as it loses some essence and quality, where as the ugni grapes hold up better. To go slightly one step further, during the early crushing and de-stemming phase, some brands choose to keep some grape leaves in during the process, depending on blending preferances. Courvoisier is contracted with about a thousand independent vine growers in the region, growing grapes for their brand. Now that’s what I call working with the community !

Especially interesting was the section they had on Napoleon himself, including a dresser, clothing, shoes, and a small bed used during the war. Being the creator of the “Napoleon” quality Cognac, a scaled down version of the bureau along with a bottle of a special Napoleon blend that fits inside, has been produced as an exclusive gift package. A superbly attractive specialty item. From the museum we walked down and around to the beautifully-lit barrel aging rooms, turned a corner and stepped into a special sitting room for a video presentation, with this unique oval-shaped viewing screen. A first time for everything !

After the viewing we followed Patrice upstairs to another part of the estate, the Courvoisier tasting room. Enjoying samples of six different house Cognacs, Patrice led us through and explained the tasting notes and qualities unique with each aging, from rancio, V.S., V.S.O.P., Exclusive, Napoleon, and XO Imperial. I remember certain flavor aromas on the nose that brought back distant memories from my childhood, something familiar from the past that I can’t quite put a word on. It must have been an earthy quality that connected to the farm I was raised on as a child. Trees, woods, tall grass, the lake, the soil, the fields, the sky. For me, going to Cognac was in many ways, going back home to where it all began.

The great thing about all of these brand tastings is, we we get to familiarize ourselves with the characteristic differences between them as well. Recognizing the master blenders as the architects of their brand’s individual quality and distinction, painting a landscape of flavor and aroma for the palate, and to enjoy the history and passion with this “spirit of the soul”, Cognac. Blend – Color – Aroma – Body – Taste – Finish . . . . .

Heading back, we made a stop into the sun-filled blending room for a few minutes, where the light was right for the guys from Grape Radio to conduct another of many important and necessary interview sessions for their documentary work in progress. Such a great team we were to tour together from our three different areas of work within the industry, as it allowed the five of us the opportunity to learn a little bit from each others work. I noticed some bottles thay had on a counter where the labels were upside down. Patrice informed us that the U.K. bars use 1.5L bottles in their massive liquor trees, upside-down of course. Made sense now !

Enter paradise. Jay Selman of Grape turned the magic key and we entered into Courvoisier’s cellar of the old. In here, the past is alive and well ! Dark, musty, humid. Perfect resting place for these rarities. There are bottles here in their paradis, from 1783. The room is also filled with oak casks and demi-johns. If there’s anyplace where cobwebs can be cool and groovy, it’s here.

Our tour ended, and we headed to the downstairs bar and lounge area in a main lobby, where the house bartender mixed us up a couple different Cognac cocktails for the 7 o’clock hour. Getting back to our rooms to freshen up and a change of clothes, we headed down a floor in the elevator to our table of seven set in the main dining room. Four-course meals to this degree is new for me, much less every day on the trip, lunch and dinner. The meal was excellent, and very appreciated. Bravo to the chef, waiter, and bartender. We enjoyed each others company and conversation over those two hours, sharing thoughts and observations, with interesting questions too. Later with Cognac in glass, we moved over to an adjacent room for relaxing a bit. A piano was in the distance, and the space was filled with beautiful furniture, interesting objects, and many other collectible luxuries, reminding one of walking into an antique store. A very charming room. There was another early morning coming around, so after a while I headed back up to the room to get in some serious snooze time, as my normal night hawk hours were turned around a bit.

Day 3

Heading out with our guide during the day, Beatrice Bernard, we snuck in an early morning visit on our itinerary to an independent vine grower in the Cognac region. Michel Guilloteau comes from a family of winemakers and growers who’s soil is full of limestone, essential to produce Cognac. They have been in their village since 1744. Jay and Mark set up in one of the very clean rows in his fields of green and conducted a great interview session. Michel spoke very little English, so Beatrice stood close by for translation, and Eric and I shot some photography of the lush hectares from a distance. Though Michel loves tending to his fields, there are no relatives who wish to take it over when he retires. So he continues . . . . . Cheers to him !

Growing Areas (The Crus)

The Cognac production area was delimited by the decree of May 1st, 1909. Six Crus were then ratified by decree in 1938. These areas in the Delimited Region reference the following appellations and their individual soil characteristics:

GRANDE CHAMPAGNE

The most prestigious Cognac vintage, with a soil called the “Campus” (where many fossils are to be found). The quality, complexity, and longevity of the spirits that come from this region are unequaled anywhere in the world. Producing fine, light Cognacs with a predominantly floral bouquet, which can turn into fruity aromas as they grow and mature even after aging. These white wines require long aging in casks to achieve full maturity.

PETITE CHAMPAGNE

Very similar eau-de-vie to that of Grande Champagne, but without its finesse. A large semi-circle area who’s “Santonian” soil (chalk of Saintes) is rich in limestone, with a floral and somewhat fruity scent, but a much shorter bouquet.

BORDERIES

These vineyards to the North of Cognac produce nutty-flavored spirits on a decalcification soil. Its soil contains clay and flint stones, that are the result of decomposing limestone. Though the smallest of the 6 Crus, their vines produce fine, round Cognacs, smooth and scented with the aroma of violets or irises, reaching an optimum quality after only a short aging period. Some houses use it as a base for their best Cognacs.

FIN BOIS (Fine Woods)

Surrounding the above 3 Crus, this large growing area lying in the lower countries is covered by clayey, chalky soils of red color and hard stones, producing smooth, fairly quick-aging Cognacs with a bouquet reminiscent of fresh-pressed grapes.

BONS BOIS (Good Woods)

Sandy soils are found in this Cru, whether it be on its coastal side, its valleys, or on the Southern part of the vineyard. The vines here are dispersed, mixed with other crops, and surrounded by forests of pine trees and chestnuts.

BOIS ORDINAIRES (Ordinary Woods)

Another sandy-soiled region of only 1,100 hectares of vines, lies along the coast or on the islands, producing a fast-aging eau-de-vie with a characteristic maritime flavor. Both Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires regions are made up of clay soils that are less in limestone levels.

FINE CHAMPAGNE

This area is not a Cru, but a controlled appellation composed of a blend of Grande and Petite Champagne eau-de-vie, with at least 50% Grande Champagne.

NOTE – 1 hectare = 2.47 acres

Earth, Wind, and Fire – A visit to the Cooperage

Loaded back into the van, we motored on for another twenty minutes of country roads, and pulled into the parking area of Tonnellerie Doreau, the workshop and facility that assembles the oak casks, from forest to barrel.

The French oak trees come from the forests of Limousin and Troncais, which lay Northeast of the district, in the Cognac region. This is the type of porous, breathable quality of wood that provides so much of what is Cognac, quite low in the harsh tannins that can be a little too bitter to a young brandy. Troncais produces a soft, finely grained wood where the tannins are smooth, while Limousin produces a medium-grained wood, a bit harder and prized for the strength and balance it imparts.

Off in the distance on the property were the massive logs which gets everything started. Initially, it gets to the log splitter, a very loud and large machine tool. The cooper was a patient and kind operator of the power tool, showing us an example of how it worked with a real log split. He quickly made us comfortable as he was in good cheer singing something operatic just over the sound of the machine. It was a bit frightening at first, being ten feet away, but we got used to it.

These still-skinned pieces are cut to a certain spec, then carted off to another area of the facility where the table saw operator skins and further cuts them into exact size planks (staves), then put in large tied bundles and taken back out into the open air for the “drying out of the shook”, stacked to weather-age for 2-3 years, releasing any unwanted substances within the wood when cut fresh. For a moment following the stand-up slice performed by the splitter, Mark asked the cooper to go into Texas (or Paris) chainsaw mode and cut a chip and leave it hangin’ up between the two big logs. Very cool, and Mark caught it on video.

Watching a from-scratch barrel prep was pretty amazing. The cooper used 30 planks, lining up within the confines of a bottom ring (barrel strap) to hold them together. On the last plank, he had to slide it down between the rest of them with some gentle force, but the circular fit was perfect. I couldn’t believe what I saw as they came together like that, right before your eyes, like a form of magic. From this phase, they get turned upside down and slowly rolled over a fire for a determined period of time, for what’s known as the “barrel toasting”. Toasting the inside of the barrel not only heats the staves for softening and bending purposes for the eventual barrel strap over the top, but toasts and therefore darkens the wood on the inside to the correct degree that helps in the aging and tasting complexities of Cognac. Slowly, these wood planks will warm together and bond for life.

From the fire phase, the barrel gets rolled over to the cooper in charge of measuring and centering the spot for the drilling and burning through of the bunghole. The fitting, insertion, and sanding of the barrel covers is followed by some hammering and laser-measuring of the barrel rings/straps, lining both of them up to spec. The barrel goes through a balancing test, as well as some possible light hammering on the inside to smooth out any small, rough spots. The liquid testing is done for the obvious reasons of creating a water-tight seal with no leakage.

Splitting, cutting, sawing, measuring, fitting, heating, hammering, strapping, sanding, drilling, and testing. It’s all part of the process. Quality control of each piece and of every phase of production, at a cost of about $900 a barrel. Upon our departure, we thanked everyone for their time and allowing us to come in for a visit and education of this time-honored craft, as they were in the middle of another busy day of barrel-making.

We then headed back into town and over to our next stop, the BNIC, Bureau National Interprofessional du Cognac. who sponsored our trip. Introduced to Jerome Durand, Director of Marketing, and Dominique Cornette, Marketing and Communications, we made a quick drive over and around the corner for lunch, cocktails and discussion at the Bistro des Quais, where we were again treated with the Summit Cocktail and appetizers at the start of our dining experience. The cocktail was created by bartenders invited to the International Cognac Summit held in January of 2008. Arriving back to his office in the BNIC building, the guys from Grape conducted a video interview and radio segment with Mr. Durand as the end portion of our visit with them.

Off we went on our first walking tour in the village, starting with a visit to MACO, the Museum des Arts du Cognac. We didn’t do any video or photography in the museum, nevertheless had an enjoyable time looking at all the past-to-present history of this legendary spirit, the village, and its people. After that, we set out on a guided visit to the Old City of Cognac, led by Michel Goubard, Cognac’s Director of the Office of Tourism. It was a sunny and beautiful afternoon out on the walk through the narrow, winding streets of its old town, of which the stonework of its old houses often coated with a black velvet, the work of a microscopic fungus that feeds on alcohol vapors. Each day while we were there, the weather became better and better. Working off some calories and breaking a little sweat felt good, then we strolled over to a nearby park for some rest and relaxation for a spell. Michel showed us a stage and amphitheatre-styled lawn in the distance where they have numerous Spring/Summer events, including the Blues Passions Festival in August and the “Coup de Chauffe” Street Theatre Festival in September. Too bad we were leaving before Sunday !

All of our luggage was in the van and ready to go when we got back to the BNIC headquarters. Before we headed back to Bordeaux later that evening, we were lucky to have just enough time left to trek through the countryside and over to the home and vineyards of Paul Giraud, for a visit with the man and his Cognac, who’s family has been growing grapes since 1665. He created his own brand in 1976.

With only an hour or more, Paul took us out to his vineyards to see his grape vines. His fields, a little over 86 acres in total, surround two sides of his home, and are situated in the heart of the Grande Champagne in the village of Bouteville. Paul was great to talk with, and had a fun, passionate and humorous personality. He talked of the vines, leaves, and fruit, describing them as beautiful girls who need water, nurturing, attention, and energy from the sun to grow proper and strong. A vine who’s leaves are of a rich, green color is getting its nutrients, but the vine next to it or a few feet over, its leaves could be of a lesser shade of green and not quite receiving all that it needs. Even so, when the vineyards suffer, they still produce a good quality. With the soil being the perfect type for growing grapes, the vines are strong and tough, and can handle some weather. We noticed snails on some of the vines, as Paul mentioned that the area was a sea at one time.

Each vine produces many a grape, and that’s a good thing, as one batch of full-grown grapes can yield 1 liter of eau-de-vie, but it takes 10 liters of that to produce 1 liter of Cognac. The terroir is rugged, and you only have to re-plant about every 40 years, or twice in a lifetime. Grape shot their last interview with Paul while we were out in the fields. Heading back to his house and sitting down together in one of the living rooms on the main floor, we did a tasting of his special line. The sun was shining through part of the window, giving us perfect light to view the color-aging of the various selections, as well as the taste! Paul said “Cognac is a combination (or collection) of memories in a bottle. From the past, the present, and into the future”. I couldn’t agree more!

It was so nice to have the time to stop by, worth every minute! Thanks to Paul for taking time out of his busy day, and patient thanks to our van shuttle driver who then took us to the airport hotel in Bordeaux for the night. We arrived just in time to have one last meal together, as my leg of the tour was completed. Nicki and the guys from Grape toured on to some wineries in Bordeaux for the next couple of days, then Nicki took the train back to Paris to visit some friends, before heading back to New York. I flew off the following morning to Amsterdam, and then back to Los Angeles. What a great tour this was. I think I slept about 20 hours in the whole time there !

Websites

BNIC – Bureau National Interprofessional du Cognac – www.cognac.fr
Carbonnier Communications – New York – www.carbonniercommunications.com
Alambic Pot Stills – Groupe Nov-Tech – www.groupe-novtech.com
French Oak Barrels – Tonnellerie Doreau – www.tonneau.com
Grape Radio – California – www.graperadio.com
Office de Tourisme de Cognac – www.tourism-cognac.com
MACO – Museum des Arts du Cognac – www.musees-cognac.fr
Cognac Otard – www.otard.com
Cognac Meukow – www.meukowcognac.com
Cognac Frapin – www.cognac-frapin.com
Cognac Hennessy – www.hennessy.com
Cognac Courvoisier – www.courvoisier.com
Cognac Paul Giraud – www.cognac-paulgiraud.com

Kyle Branche – Journalist/Mixologist – kbranche@earthlink.net

Purchasing Cognac

V.S. – Very Special – At least 2 years, usually 5 Years Aging
V.S.O.P. – Very Special Old Pale – At least 4 years, usually 7-10 Years Aging
X.O. – Extra Old or Napoleon – At least 6 years, usually 15-25 Years Aging
Grande Reserve – Up to 50 Years Aging

NOTE – Cognac Master Blenders will usually use eau-de-vie that are much older agings than the minimum requirements for their bottle blends. In 2016, the X.O. category will have a new designation to be at least 10 years aging.

Cognac Cocktails

Bandista
GLASS – Tumbler ICE – Cubed or Cracked
PREP – Build over ice
1oz Cognac ¾ oz lemon juice 2 oz lemonade
Garnish – fresh mint

Cocoa Chanel
GLASS – Martini
PREP – Shake & Strain
1½ oz Cognac ½ oz white chocolate liqueur ½ oz amaretto 1½ oz coconut milk
Garnish – cherry

Cognac Flip
GLASS – Sour, White Wine, Delmonico, or Cocktail
PREP – Shake & Strain
1¾ oz Cognac ¾ oz cream ½ oz simple syrup 1 egg yolk
Garnish – sprinkle with nutmeg

East India
GLASS – Cocktail
PREP – Shake & Strain
1½ oz Cognac ¼ oz triple sec or curacao (clear, dry)
dash bitters 1oz pineapple juice

French 75
GLASS – Collins
PREP – Shake & Strain
1oz Cognac 1oz lemon juice ½ oz Cointreau ½ oz simple syrup
Strain in, and Top with champagne
Garnish – lemon or orange slice or peel, and a cherry

French Connection
GLASS – Snifter or Blender’s glass
PREP – Pour straight in – served Neat, unless otherwise noted 1oz Cognac ¾ oz Grand Marnier

French Kiss #1
GLASS – Champagne Flute
PREP – Shake & Strain
¼ oz Cognac dash fresh squeezed lemon pinch of sugar
Strain in Flute, and top off with champagne

French Kiss #2
GLASS – Snifter or Blender’s glass
PREP – Pour straight in – served Neat
1oz Cognac ¾ oz Amaretto

French Lieutenant’s Woman
GLASS – Collins ICE – Cubed or Cracked
PREP – Pour over Ice
1oz Cognac fill with white grape juice or apple juice splash Top with lemon-lime soda

French Mojito
GLASS – Tall ICE – Cubed or Cracked
PREP – Muddle and Build
At the bottom of the glass, muddle 6–8 mint leaves/sprigs with ½ oz simple syrup Squeeze 2 halves of 1 lime in the glass, leaving 1 lime hull in the bottom of the glass add 1½ - 2 oz Cognac stir all, then fill glass with Ice
Top with club soda Garnish – 1 mint sprig

French Press
GLASS – Highball
ICE – Cubed or Cracked
PREP – Pour over Ice
2 oz Cognac fill with equal parts club soda and ginger ale
Garnish with a twist of lemon peel

Horse’s Neck
GLASS – Highball
ICE – Cubed or Cracked
PREP – Build over Ice
2 oz Cognac 5 oz ginger ale 2 dashes bitters
Garnish – twist of lemon peel

Incredible Hulk
GLASS – Highball or Martini
ICE – Cracked (if on-the-rocks)
PREP – Pour over Ice or Shake & Strain
2 oz Cognac 1½ - 2 oz Hpnotiq liqueur

Lancer Franc
GLASS – Flute
PREP – Shake & Strain
2/3 oz Cognac 1/3 oz strawberry liqueur 3 oz fresh orange juice
Garnish with a slice of fresh strawberry

Long Sigh
GLASS – Snifter or Blender’s glass
PREP – Pour straight in – Served Neat 1¼ oz Cognac ¾ oz Chambord

Misty Queen
GLASS – Rocks, medium or large
ICE – Crushed
PREP – Build or Shake over ice
1¼ oz Cognac dash dry vermouth splash Cointreau
Garnish – twist of lemon peel

Nicky Finn
GLASS – Cocktail glass
PREP – Shake & Strain
1oz Cognac 1oz Cointreau 1oz lemon juice dash of Pernod
Garnish with a cherry and twist of lemon peel

Paris Nocturne
GLASS – warm coffee mug
PREP – Pour straight in ¾ oz Cognac ¾ oz Chambord ¼ oz Drambuie
Pour in fresh hot coffee
Garnish with fresh whipped cream

Perfect Lover
GLASS – Cocktail, Cordial, or Pousse
PREP – Layer pour in order

Equal parts of the following:
1st – Parfait Amour liqueur – bottom
2nd – Kamasutra coconut ginseng liqueur
3rd – Damiana liqueur
4th – Cognac – top

Pierre Collins
Glassware – Tall Collins
ICE – Cubed or Cracked
PREP – Pour over Ice
1½ ounces Cognac 1–2 ounces sweet & sour mix
Top fill with club soda
Garnish – A Lemon, Orange, or Lime wheel speared with a Cherry

Pink Love
GLASS – Champagne Flute
PREP – Pour straight in 2/3 oz Cognac 1/3 oz raspberry liqueur 3 oz brut Champagne Garnish with a fresh raspberry

Player’s Passion
GLASS – Champagne flute
PREP – Chill stir & Strain
1oz Cognac 1oz Alizè Red, Gold, or Wild Passion liqueur
Strain in, and fill with chilled champagne

Side Car
RIM – Sugar
GLASS – Martini
PREP – Shake & Strain
1½ oz Cognac ¾ oz triple sec or Cointreau ¾ oz lemon juice
Garnish – slice or twist of lemon

Sir Knight
GLASS – Cocktail
PREP – Shake & Strain
2 oz cognac ½ oz Cointreau ½ oz yellow Chartreuse dash bitters
Garnish – twist of lemon peel

Stanley Steamer
GLASS – Warm coffee mug
PREP – Pour straight in ½ oz each of the following: Cognac Tia Maria Irish cream
Fill with hot coffee
Garnish - whipped cream, and a top lace of Grand Marnier

Stinger
GLASS – Highball
ICE – Cubed or Cracked
PREP – Build over Ice 1½ oz Cognac ¾ oz white crème de menthe
Garnish – mint sprig

Summit Cocktail
GLASS – Tumbler/Highball
PREP – Build over Ice
Place 1 lime zest and 4 thin slices of fresh ginger in the glass
Pour in ¾ oz Cognac, and lightly press the lime and ginger using a pestle
Fill the glass with ice, and pour in another ¾ oz of Cognac
Add 2 oz of fresh lemonade, and stir well
Garnish with a slice of fresh cucumber peel

White Jag
GLASS – Fancy tumbler
PREP – Shake & Strain
¾ oz vanilla Cognac ¾ oz vodka 3 oz lychee juice/puree
splash of fresh lime juice splash of simple syrup
Garnish with a lychee fruit