Best Cognacs of the World and Russia: a Brief Overview

What is cognac and how does it differ from other strong and fortified alcoholic beverages - the same brandy, for example? It is made by double distillation of dry wine and prolonged aging of the product in oak barrels. What then it turns out: the best cognac can be produced anywhere, for the benefit of growing vines? But no! No matter how highly developed winemaking is in this or that country, not all vines give a good product for this fragrant drink. Even if the manufacturer did not deviate one iota from the classical manufacturing technology, his products still can not be called the same as those created in the French province of Charente, where the drink was once born and is still flourishing.

The small town of Cognac, which gave the name of distillate, rose exclusively in the production and marketing of the products of the nearby vineyards. And according to the decree of 1909, adopted in France, cognac can be called only that drink, raw materials for which is grown in the department of Charentes. In the world there are many excellent vineyards. But the best cognacs are still created in France. It is here, even here, in the west of the country, a real, authentic drink can be born. Therefore, cognacs made in other regions of this country are called armagnacs, vinyaks or simply brandies.

The best cognacs of France are sold in limited editions, in intricate crystal and even gold bottles. Prices for them, you know, sky-high. By the way, Henri IV Dudognon became the most expensive, got on this occasion in the Guinness Book. The bottle was sold for $ 2 million! To produce it, alcohols of centenary stamina were used. For the sake of fairness, it should be mentioned that in the price formation a very significant role was played by the container - the bottle is made of gold and platinum, moreover, it is decorated with six and a half thousand diamonds. But an ordinary consumer should know that the best French cognacs have on their label such abbreviations: VVSOP (which stands for Very-Very Superior Old Pale) and Yu. (Extra Old). Such names as Napoleon, Hors d'Age, Vieille Reserve and Tres Vieux also mean that the distillate ripened in oak barrels for at least six years.

But here we live not in France, but want to try a good inexpensive cognac. How to choose it? Of course, the phrase "Russian cognac" is similar to guinea pigs: these pigs do not have a relationship with pigs or the ocean. So with the products of our distilleries. It can only be attributed to cognacs with a great stretch. But if you still want to support the domestic manufacturer, choose the names that are regulated by GOST of Russia. In accordance with this document, the years of aging are formalized with asterisks. But good Russian products do not have stars: on its label there is KV (which stands for "brandy aged" - not less than eight years) or KVVK - the last two letters mean "Top Quality". The age of this is nine to ten years. And the best cognac in Russia is the COP and OS - old and very "ancient". Such an acronym guarantees that the spirits mature in oak barrels for at least ten and twenty years, respectively.