All about Brandy.

Brandy strictly speaking is any spirit that has been distilled from wine or grape based spirit. There are other spirits that are called brandies but are produced from other fruits and they are another thing . The word brandy is a English word . Well it's a Dutch word "brandewijn" meaning burn wine, but the English called it brandy.

Brandy are made all over the world , in fact were you grow grapes you can make a form of brandy but the most famous of all must be the cognac brandies of France. Cognac is a town in the Charente region of western France. It is a very complicated and easily confused area to figure out, so I will try to explain as simply as I can .

The cognac region covers two areas or departments, inland Charente and costal Charente. This is then split in to six areas that range from Grande champagne to petite champagne, Grande being the better of them all.
Now to know what is what it is very easy to under stand unlike French wine. All you have to know are what the letters mean on the side of the bottle. V.S. is the bottom of the rung normally called a three star brandy it is basically the youngest of all the spirits that have been blended. Then you get the V.S.O.P. or very special old pale. This is a blend of brandies that have had the minimum of six years old and five of them in wood .This is a five star cognac and very special old pale is a English term . Any cognac that is blended form any thing that is minimum of six years or more is entitled to be called an X.O. . Or any thing that the producers wish to call it such as reserve or Extra . Napoleon is so called because in it are brandies that were made when he was around . A good pointer is the more the rarity of the brandy the more special the bottle . The most expensive come in cut crystal bottles and silk lined boxes.

The history behind cognac is a interesting one . In the seventeenth century, Northern European traders took some thin and acidic wine. To save on space and paying tax on the wine they boiled the wine to add water later to make it back up. By boiling, the wine it reduced the liquid and it was when the wines of the region were boiled it was noticed that they improved the wine. It was not long before it was being distilled. The wine of the area was not matched by any other and soon the fame of the wine spread.

One of the first people to get in on the action was a Jean Martell who was from Jersey. In 1715, he stopped what he was doing, Smuggling, in order to found the house that still bears his name. Other names soon followed until you still have the leading houses today Hennessy, Courvosisier, Hine, Otard and Remy Martin.
The reason why a cognac should be served in a brandy balloon glass is to let you warm the drink a little with the hand before you drink it. This lets all the bouquet and flavors come out as you drink it.

Armagnac is know as Frances other brandy and is not given the time or space as Cognac. However, it is as just as complex and interesting as cognac. Other brandies come from places, Spain, Italy, Greece and Germany. As well as new world brandies now as well from America Peru and Chilli.