Food

National Cognac Day 2023: Date, History, Facts about Ugni Blanc

Cognac dates all the way back to the sixteenth century. Dutch settlers travelled to the French region of Cognac to purchase timber, wine, and salt.

On June 4, National Cognac Day, you are encouraged to relax while savouring one of the finest alcoholic beverages. Cognac, which originates from the same-named town in France, is a type of brandy that many people appreciate for its refined and distilled flavour. The beverage evokes an opulent environment where sophisticated and intellectual topics punctuate the conversation. In order for a brandy to be recognised as cognac in the first place, it must adhere to a number of specifications, as is the case with all magnificent things. True cognac, for instance, must always originate from the vineyards of France’s six certified regions.

The background of National Cognac Day

Cognac dates all the way back to the sixteenth century. Dutch settlers travelled to the French region of Cognac to purchase timber, wine, and salt. However, when it came time to export the wine back home, a problem arose. The preservation procedure had to accommodate both the length of the journey and the amount of time it would take to be sold and consumed. Observing this, the colonists began preserving the wine by adding eau-de-vie. While this method was effective, the settlers discovered that double distillation produced a much more refined and flavorful product. Therefore, brandy was created.

While brandy is produced all over the globe, only brandy from six specific regions of France can be called cognac. The Cognac region encompasses two distinct regions in Western France, namely Charente-Maritime and Charente. The six districts are divided based on the quality and potential of the ageing population. The Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC) is in charge of enforcing the laws and regulations that must be followed for a brandy to be labelled as cognac. First and foremost, only specific varieties of grapes may be used to produce cognac, with Ugni Blanc being one of the most commonly used varieties. Once the wine has been produced, it must be distilled in a ‘alambic charentais’, which is essentially a copper vessel with a boiler and serpentine condensation tube. Later, the cognac must be fermented and aged for at least 30 months in special French oak casks, although many wineries age the cognac for longer. The longer the cognac ferments, the greater its complexity and aroma. VS (Very Special) is aged for at least two years in oak, while XO (Extra Old) is aged for at least ten years in oak.

5 UGNI BLANC FACTS THAT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND

Ugni Blanc is the most prevalent grape used in cognac production, accounting for 95% of all cognac.

Ugni Blanc is indigenous to Tuscany in Italy, where it is known as Trebbiano Toscano.

Ugni Blanc is one of the least prestigious grape varieties, which is surprising given its widespread use in the production of wines such as cognac and Armagnac.

The virtues of Ugni Blanc are its tenacity to maintain the maximum acidity levels until the very end and its high yields.

The shape of a Ugni Blanc’s cluster enables air to circulate, thereby preventing rot and maximising yield.