4th June: National Cognac Day

Today is National Cognac Day, so here are 10 things you may not know about Cognac brandy:

1. Cognac is a variety of brandy. Just as not every sparkling wine can be called Champagne, not every brandy can be called Cognac, just that which is produced in the Cognac region of France, north of Bordeaux.
2. Only 3% of the Cognac produced is consumed in France. Most of it is exported, and the Chinese can't get enough of it.
3. As with any brandy, Cognac is made by fermenting Ugni Blanc Grapes and then distilling the wine twice. The word "brandy comes from the Dutch word brandewijn, meaning "burnt wine" because of this. The liquid produced from the two distillations is called "eau-de-vie," French for "water of life." This liquid is aged in wooden barrels for at least two years, usually much longer.
4. Ugni Blanc grapes are quite acidic and low in alcohol, so they wouldn't make very nice wine. They are ideal for making brandy, though.
5. It would take 10 litres of wine to produce one litre of eau-de-vie,
6. The double distillation originated in the 17th century when it was done to preserve wine on sea voyages. It wasn't long before the merchants realised this process and the storage in wood made the wine even more tasty.
7. Cognac is graded according to how long it was aged. VS (very special), is aged for two to four years. VSOP (very special old pale), has been aged four or more years. XO (extra old) is at least 6 but more often closer to 20 years old. (I do wonder, though, why these grade letters stand for English words when the stuff is produced in France!) Anything aged for more than 20 years is an extra special blend that will cost an arm and a leg. Cognacs aged for up to 200 years exist.
8. In the beginning, the warehouses for storing Cognac were built near rivers so that it was easy to load the stuff onto boats in order to transport it. However, the producers learned that the inevitable dampness of the cellars produced better Cognac. Even though today, it ought to make more sense to have the warehouses near the airport, they still build them near rivers for this reason.
9. Distillation only takes place between November and March, by French law. The grapes produce the best juice in winter.
10. The wood used to make the barrels comes mainly from one-hundred-year-old trees from the forests of Limousin and Tron. The wood is stacked and seasoned for at least three years before being made into barrels. No glue or nails is used in the making of the barrels. They are held together by metal bands.