What is cognac?

An eau-de-vie with a controlled designation of origin

Cognac is a wine-based eau-de-vie obtained by distillation, produced exclusively in a defined geographical area centred on the town of Cognac, in Charente and Charente-Maritime (with a few communes in Dordogne and Deux-Sèvres). It holds the status of Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) and its know-how has been listed in France's inventory of intangible cultural heritage since 2020.

Six terroirs, one name

The delimited region is divided into six crus, according to the nature of the soils: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires. Each cru brings its own character to the eaux-de-vie produced there.

From grape to eau-de-vie

Cognac is born from a dry, acidic white wine made almost exclusively from the Ugni Blanc grape variety. This wine is distilled twice using the Charente method, in a copper still, then aged for at least two years in oak casks before it can be sold.

The age statements you see on labels (VS, VSOP, XO...) indicate the minimum ageing period of the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend. We detail these classifications on our other dedicated pages.

See also: How is cognac made? and VS, VSOP, XO: what are the differences?.