Specific vine

Cognac as a wine distillate has its base in wine, while the vineyard grown in the Cognac region produces wines with higher acidity and lower alcohol content. This combination of properties is ideal for distillation, on the other hand it is not very suitable for direct consumption.

Grape Varieties

In the years since the beginning of vineyard cultivation, the three main white vine varieties have become established in the Cognac region, which must account for at least 90% proportion in double distilled wine. They are

Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard

In the golden years of cognac production in the second half of the 19th century, the Folle Blanche variety was the most widespread, followed by Colombard and Ugni Blanc. The disaster caused by the phylloxera in the History section, destroyed a huge area of ​​vineyards (85%) and reclamation began only after the Ugni Blanc variety, grafted on the rootstocks of an American vineyard, was bred. Ugni Blanc as a vine variety still dominates the area of ​​more than 97% of vineyards.

Secondary varieties

The rules for the production of cognac also define other vine varieties that may appear in wine, the distillation and maturation of which produces cognac. They are: Montils, Sémillon and the recently bred Folignan variety. Their proportion in wine intended for distillation and subsequent maturation of cognac may not exceed 10%.