How Cognac Differs From Brandy
Simple Things – Surprising Histories explained how brandy was accidentally created in the 16th century by Dutch wine merchants who distilled wine as a space-saving measure, with tasty results, and how this accident eventually led to the invention of cognac.
Cognac is a world-renowned French spirit that played a surprising role in the history of global maritime trade.
By law, the name cognac refers to a brandy made specifically in the Cognac region of France. This law requires that particular grapes be used for a special twice-distilled process in bespoke copper stills and within a certain timeframe.
By law, to carry the name, the spirit must be made in the cognac region of France, a small area just north of Bordeaux. And the rules here are obsessive. First, you have to use specific white grapes, almost entirely a variety called Ugni Blanc. …Next, it must be distilled twice in very specifically shaped copper pot stills. In timing matters, by law, distillation must be finished by the stroke of midnight on March 31st






