Cognac

What is Cognac?

Cognac is a strong alcoholic drink and is made by distilling white wine.
To be called cognac, the drink must meet a number of requirements:

• Selected grape varieties must be used
• Twice distillation is required
• The drink must have matured in wooden barrels for at least two and a half years
• The alcohol percentage must be at least 40%
• The drink must come from the Cognac region

How much alcohol does Cognac contain?

Cognac contains at least 40% alcohol.

How is Cognac made?

The grapes are pressed immediately after harvest and fermented for 5 to 7 days to a sour, cloudy wine with an alcohol percentage of 8 to 10%.
The natural fermentation process is sometimes helped by adding dried yeast.
During fermentation, the heaviest particles of the wine sink to the bottom. This sediment is sometimes used later in the distillation.
The distillation must be done with an alambic Charantais, made entirely of copper.
The wine is distilled a first time (Première chauffe) to a kind of brandy with an alcohol content of approximately 30%.
After a second distillation called bonne chauffe, the eau-de-vie obtained is placed in oak barrels to mature.
The brandy now has an alcohol content of around 70%.
Depending on the producer, the cognac is already mixed or poured into other barrels during the maturation.
Only after the eau-de-vie has matured in a barrel for two and a half years can it be called cognac.
Before bottling, the cognac is diluted with water until it has an alcohol content of 40%.