Cognac is a distillate, produced from white wine, from a strictly demarcated geographical region in the Charente and Charente-Maritime departments of South-West France. It is probably the most famous Brandy in the world, followed by Armagnac from Gascony. The spirit is produced using a pot-still double distillation technique to produce a spirit not more than 72% alcohol by volume. It must be aged for at least two years in oak barrels.

The Cognac region of France, has a unique combination of soils and and a combination of micro and meso climates. Added to this is the maritime influence of the Atlantic ocean and the cool, mountainous influence of the Massif Central - in short, Cognac has a unique terroir.

There are 6 Crus (classified growth areas) in Cognac, these are, in decreasing order of importance -

Grande Champagne - Considered to be the best and the most famous area of Cognac. The soil is chalk-rich and the resulting brandies are delicate, elegant and full of finesse.

Petit Champagne - Fruitier, but still elegant, brandies produced here. The soil is chalky but also quite earthy as well.

Borderies - The soil here has a higher clay content, with flint as well. The brandies from Borderies tend to be fuller-bodied, fatter and with more dried fruit charcteristics.

Fins Bois - The soil here is a mix of clay, chalk and sand resulting in quicker-maturing but fuller brandies which can be quite fruity and spicy.

Bons Bois, Bois Ordinaires and Bois Communs - lesser quality areas, usually used in blending.

The most important grape varieties used in making Cognac are Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, Colombard and Semillon.

When a bottle of Cognac is labelled it should have two main pieces of information on it. The first of these is the Geographical region, or Cru, that the Cognac is produced in (see the chapter above). Secondly the label will also indicate the age of the Cognac. There are various age categories, these are -

VS / 3 Star / Reserve - This is the youngest style of Cognac and will be aged in oak barrels for a minimum of 2 years.

VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) - Aged for a minimum of 4 years.

Napoleon / XO (Extra Old) / Extra - the oldest style of Cognac aged for a minimum of 6 year in oak barrels.

Single Vintage / Age Statement - sometimes Cognac producers bottle Cognac that are unblend and from a single year.

Please note that these are minimum age limits. Most of the smaller, boutique Cognac producers, such as Maxim Trijol, Edgar Leyrat and Ragnaud-Sabourin will age their brandies for a lot longer than the above limits. For example, Maxim Trijol's VSOP and XO Cognacs are an average of approximately 10 to 12 years and 30 years respectively.

A fine Cognac is traditionally served at the end of the meal as a digestif, perhaps with a good, Cugan cigar or some dark chocolate. The younger styles can be used to make cocktails or long drinks.