Cognac is the noblest strong alcoholic beverage. Cognac is made by double distillation of white wines, then the distillate is aged in oak barrels. The production of cognac is equated with art.
Cognac is produced in France in the Poitou-Charente region, the city of Cognac. There, the main brandy grape variety - uni blanc - is grown, which matures slowly, has a high acidity, high yield and resistance to diseases. Other varieties are also used in production - colombar, montil and foil blanche, they give aromatic and rich in taste alcohols, but more difficult to grow.
The production of cognacs is not only legally regulated in France, but also patented internationally. Other spirits that are not produced in Charente do not have the right to be called cognac.
The process of making cognac consists of several stages that have already become traditional: picking grapes, squeezing juice, distilling wine, aging in barrels and mixing cognacs to expand the bouquets.
The main stages of cognac production
1. Collection and pressing of berries.
The vines are planted at intervals of about 3 m so that the grapes get maximum sun. The berries are harvested in early October and pressed with horizontal presses so as not to damage the seeds and spoil the taste of the juice. The squeezed juice is fermented without added sugar.
2. Distillation of juice.
After 3 weeks, dry white wine is ready, at this stage the drink contains about 8% alcohol. The wine is sent to double distillation according to the patented Charentes method. As a result, cognac alcohol appears, which is sent for aging.
3. Aging in oak barrels.
The resulting alcohol is kept in oak barrels at a temperature of 15 ° for two to fifty years. Alcohol loses some of its strength, and oak wood gives the drink color and a pleasant bouquet. Substances that are absorbed from oak are called dry extract. To make cognac, barrels are made from oak from the French forests of Limousin and Tronze. Barrels from this wood are durable and at the same time porous and contain a sufficient amount of tannins - tannins that form the bouquet of cognac.
After the cognac reaches maturity, the aging process is stopped, and the drink is poured into a glass container, which prevents contact with air and further development of the aging process.
4. Mixing drinks.
The last stage in the preparation of cognacs consists in mixing drinks of different taste to form new bouquets. The masters learn this art all their lives, very often the place of the master's cognac business is inherited.
