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In French, Cognac is technically classified as an “eau-de-vie de vin” – a category which covers all spirits distilled from wine. The spirit’s full, official name is in fact “Eau-de-Vie de Cognac” or “Eau-de-Vie des Charentes”, but the shorter version has become so widely used that these full names are almost never seen on labels
Although not particularly well known, the Charentais is one of France’s largest vineyard areas. It is composed of two administrative departments (Charente and Charente-Maritime), each of which generates more wine per year than the whole of Burgundy.
While a certain proportion of this is basic table wine the vast majority is produced specifically for distillation into Cognac.
There are six sub-appellations here, reflecting the six different vine-growing areas that have been recognised and delimited over the years. In ascending order of prestige, these are: Bois Ordinaires; Bons Bois; Fins Bois; Borderies; Petite Champagne; and Grande Champagne.
The vines grown for Cognac production cover many thousands of hectares in the Charentais. The finest Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne sub-districts are located nearest to the town of Cognac itself.
The vineyards are cultivated by a significant number of small growers, who typically sell their produce to the large Cognac houses – the largest and most famous of which are Hennessy, Martell and Rémy Martin.
There are, of course, some artisanal producers and local co-operatives who vinify and distill their own grape harvests. However, these constitute only a tiny fraction of total Cognac production.