Although it is a French registered drink, it was first produced by Dutch sailors. In the 16th century, white wines, which were not preferred in France due to their high acidity, were exported to northern European countries at cheap prices. Dutch sailors were the ones who distilled these wines, which were usually spoiled when they reached the port, and started selling them as concentrates. They called the drink they produced 'brandewijn', which means burnt wine. Today we call the drink produced by sailors brandy.
In the 17th century, the French evaluated the sailors' method and started cognac production. In the 1930s, the name Cognac was registered and Cognac became a registered French brand.
It is produced by traditional distillation of white wine produced from folle blanche, ugni blanc and colombard grapes grown in the town of Cognac and its surroundings. White wine is distilled twice in copper stills, and the distilled alcohol is kept in oak barrels for between 2.5 and 100 years.
The barrels in which cognac, a drink famous for its precision, is aged are of great importance. Because it is the barrel in which the wine is aged that gives it its color and aroma. In the aging process where old and healthy oaks are used, only chalk is used when numbering the barrels. Because the smell of any dye used will affect the cognac.
Absolutely no caramel or sugar is used in its production.
Comments