Masterclass off the beaten track

In the heart of the cognac vineyard, a masterclass off the beaten track

In order to fully immerse yourself in the universe of Cognac, we invite you to come to Grande Champagne, in the heart of the vineyard classified as Cognac Premier Cru, in an old cellar for a masterclass off the beaten track.

Sit down to open the great book of French history

What better way to understand cognac than to turn the pages of the great history book of France. We will evoke Julius Caesar and his Roman legions and the outstanding Gallic craftsmen, inventors of techniques still used today.

We will see the traces still present today of the Hundred Years War and then of the Wars of Religion. We will discuss the role of trade and exports, the impact of a free trade treaty signed long before the 21st century.

We will follow the path of an insect which, in the 19th century crossed the oceans to devastate European vineyards and will see the techniques, still used, implemented to fight it. To follow the thread of history is to discover how cognac, a local product, is also an international product developed long before globalization.

Train your nose to find the different aromas of cognac

Did you know that cognac is, of all the products in the world consumed by man, the most aromatically rich.

More than forty odors can tickle your nose and flavors titillate your taste buds during a tasting. Where does this richness and complexity come from? In which families can we classify them? Why are women, no matter what they think, excellent cognac tasters? And if cognac is so rich in multiple and varied flavors, how can it be combined with the most subtle dishes of gastronomy? During the masterclass, it is during an olfactory game, as we would with a perfume, that we will answer these questions.

Taste brandy or cognac?

Our French heritage is rich, very rich, so rich that we sometimes get lost in it. “What is an eau-de-vie, a bad cognac?”, “Armagnac, is it the cognac that is sold in France?”, “Cognac is entirely exported. It is normal, in France we no longer drink spirits! “. It is these questions, or affirmations, plus a few others that we will evoke by following the artisanal work to be carried out, from the vine to the glass, in order to taste a cognac.

It is quite naturally while tasting an eau-de-vie and three cognacs from 5 to 40 years old, that we will discuss the work of the vine, that we will compare the techniques of Charentaise distillation to those used for other spirits, the art of aging, the roles of winegrowers (here we are not talking about winegrowers) and merchants and, of course, the future; the future of cognac in the face of economic crises and climatic vagaries, but also the pleasure with friends that you will get from your next tastings to come !

You are curious! Come and take this friendly trip with us, which will also be an experience off the beaten track.

Learn more about the masterclass and tasting workshops calendar