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The grape varieties used in Cognac have been carefully chosen for the task. Cognac production requires grapes which are relatively high in acidity and low in sugar.
Low sugar levels in the grapes mean low alcohol levels in the base wines. This allows them to be distilled for longer before they reach their intended alcoholic strength of 72 percent by volume; the more they are distilled, the purer the spirit.
High acidity acts as a natural antiseptic, keeping the grapes and wines free from bacterial spoilage. Sulfur, the wine industry’s ubiquitous anti-bacterial agent, cannot be used in Cognac production, as the distillation process would concentrate it to unpleasant levels, leading to aromas of cabbage and rotten eggs.
Good disease resistance is another requirement for grapes used in Cognac. The Charentais’ relatively cool, wet climate makes for a high risk of rot in the vineyards, and again, imperfections would be amplified by distillation.
Thus grapes in the region are harvested relatively early, helpfully providing the low sugar and high acid levels required in the base wine.
Ugni Blanc – disease-resistant, high in acid, low in sugar – satisfies all three of the requirements above. As a result, it is by far the most important variety in Cognac. Roughly 95 percent of the base wines distilled into Cognac are made from Ugni Blanc grapes.
The remaining five percent is taken up mostly by Folle Blanche and Colombard, although the appellation laws also permit the use of Semillon and Montils. The even rarer and relatively fragile Folignan (a cross of Ugni Blanc and Folle Blanche) is also allowed but it may make up no more than ten percent of the base blend.
The very rare Jurançon Blanc, Meslier Saint-François and Sélect were permitted in the vineyards of Cognac until the 2020 harvest. They are now phased out of production.