Grammy-Award Winner and Cognac Connoisseur ‘Barefoot Diva’ Cesaria Evora has Past Away

Cognac Paradis Cesaria Evora

Singer Cesária Evora, nicknamed the "Barefoot Diva" because of her propensity to perform without shoes, has died aged 70 this past Saturday 17th December 2011.

Evora started performing Portuguese-creole songs when she was 16 years old in the bars of her hometown, Mindelo. World recognition came later in her life when at the age of 47, in 1988 she released her debut album, La Diva Aux Pieds Nus (The Barefoot Diva), which launched her career as a recording artist.

Evora grew up in poverty in the port city of Mindelo and often refused to wear shoes while performing in support of the homeless and poor women and children of her country.

Her 1995 album, Cesária, was released in more than a dozen countries and brought Evora her first Grammy nomination, leading to a tour of major concert halls around the world and resulting in album sales in the millions.

She later won the "Best World Music Album" Grammy in 2004 for her album Voz D'Amor.

The Grammy-winning singer, who was forced to retire in September due to ill health, passed away in the hospital on her native island of São Vicente in Cape Verde. Cape Verde is a republic made of 10 Islands set off on the west coast of Africa where people speak Portuguese.

Evora was famous for singing blues-influenced music and often recognized  for her interest in the enjoyment of the finest cognacs.

We regretfully say our goodbyes to a Diva.

Source: Photo: Silvio Tanaka

Micro-Spirits, Artisan Spirits, Boutique spirits, Small-Batch Spirits ... The Smaller The Better

Cognac Paradis Artisan Spirits

A great number of people are regaining interest for spirits and distilled products and this is a great thing as I believe with more knowledge and interests in spirits in general, people will naturally converge towards cognac. And once they find out about cognac their interest quickly migrate towards the other brands. What I mean by the other brands, the other 500 brands that constitutes 5% of the volume and that not many people know. In reality, cognac is a market driven by 4 brands controlling 95% of the market in sales volume.

When it comes to Micro-distillation and micro-entrepreneurship and micro-cognac business ... I think they are 100s of smaller brands that would make an interesting case. Perhaps this is not trendy or acceptable yet for Cognac Houses to say they are small or Micro or Artisan etc... Like it is in the Vodka, Gin, Tequila, spirit categories. In fact, everyone can see that the micro-brands when genuine are gaining considerable momentum in the media and consumer markets pretty much everywhere - even it is starting in France. I say even in France because a great number of innovations in the spirits industry comes from France, and Cognac is like the "Silicone Valley" of spirits when it comes to innovativeness, but do not expect much innovation coming from the French consumers. France is the 1st or 2nd largest consumer market depending on year per capita for "cheap" whisky - go figure! As you may know less than 3% of the cognac produced in France is consumed in France. By the way, 99% of this number is consumed by tourists in France. That leaves you with peanuts when trying to sell cognac in France - but they are some success stories, for instance, www.cognac-only.com

We have discussed and presented many lesser known Cognac Houses in "Cognac Paradis" for the past 2 years, there is so much to say that we will continue. However, one should not under evaluate the huge contributions from the large Cognac Houses in keeping cognac alive as a valid spirit in the industry and in consumer minds.

It is a fascinating market which takes more than a passion to follow it also requires a strong stamina and resilience to go through the changes and adjustments.

Cognac = Definition of a "Classic": It Never Goes Away!

Amy Cavanaugh 's post could not be more stereotyped of what I hear from people who like spirits, brown or clear, scotch, vodkas, and else, but knows nothing or very little about cognac.

Cognac Paradis Courvoisier 21 Connoisseur Collection

"Going into a cognac tasting at the Drawing Room last week, I didn’t know much about the grape-based spirit. I’m a brown spirits drinker, but my tastes usually run more toward bourbon and scotch, and I hadn’t ever had more than a nip of cognac here and there.

I blind tasted cognac against Irish whiskey, Scotch whiskey, rye, bourbon, and aged rum to taste the difference between grain and grape-based liquors. I found cognac heavier on the tongue, with a taste that lingered longer in my mouth than any of the other spirits did.

Cognac was originally used in mint juleps, sazeracs, and other classic cocktails that now feature bourbon and other spirits. It fell off the radar over the years, thanks in part to an insect attack that destroyed many French vineyards in the late 19th century. With the resurgence of interest in the classics, it’s starting to appear on more and more cocktail menus."

Cognac is a modern spirit because it is a classic, that means it never goes away and it is always trendy for the connoisseurs.  It is the traditional ingredient of prohibition cocktails and back in the trends today. It is made by  a long list of connected intermediaries and families, and it requires the utmost quality steps to be created. It is very exclusive and also sustainable from an environmental perspective - "liquid gold" some call it.

So do not get me wrong. I enjoy most types of spirits (with moderation). I only have favorites spirits for specific situations. I think cognacs are more elegant, subtle and clean than other spirits, but I am open minded. If I had to pick a second favorite spirits it would be eaux-de-vie for the variety of fruits that can be found. Otherwise, in second I would pick Calvados. I love crepes perhaps this is why.

http://chicagoist.com/2011/11/06/make_charles_jolys_cognac_cocktails.php

Source: Photo: Courvoisier Cognac

Why Is Cognac a Brandy of Choice?

Brandy is a broad overall category which includes all distilled products issued from fermented fruits. Hence, it includes sub-categories such as Armagnac, Calvados, Grapa, Pisco, Eau-de-Vie, ... but also 'Cognac'. Another sub-category is also brandy which is commonly known as an aged distilled grape wine. The problem with brandy as a sub-category is that often these brandies are the results of distillation of 'cheap' wines and therefore they produce less interesting distillates which are less regulated and protected and maybe manipulated in such a way to improve the original product. Such manipulations may enhance smoothness, taste and color by adding something to 'enhance'.

Some cultures and countries have a real tradition in making brandy of wines like Spain or Armenia. They both have a set of specific traditions in aging and producing but at the end they produce a much sweeter brandy than say French brandy.

French brandies (i.e. generic of wines) appear in a wide variety of quality levels with some being 'the run of the mill' and other being absolutely outstanding.

Germans have a strong reputation in making brandy covering a wide spectrum of quality products, but they are most generally famous for their quality eaux-de-vie. In Germany they do not call these brandies or eaux-de-vie but schnapps. The fruits most used for Schnapps are are apricot, apples, cherries, pears, and plums. In some situation, they use raspberries or rather they infused raspberries with rectified grape brandies because the raspberries produce a low yield of alcohol due to their low sugar content. In addition, a 100% raspberry brandy/schnapps will require too many fruits and would turn too expensive.

The concept behind eau-de-vie is to be a brandy which expresses the typicity of the fruits originally fermented. Hence, eaux-de-vie made of fermented apricots should taste and smell like concentrated apricots. Eaux-de-vie can but are therefore rarely aged for the sake of keeping the typicity of the fruits being used. Apple Jack are brandy made of fermented apples. In this situation, one would not want to age too much their apple jacks to keep the typicity of the apples.

Calvados is a geographic indication (issue related to trademark) and/or an 'appellation d'origine controllee' (issue related to French regulations) . In the case of Calvados, the apple expression is very much revealed in young Calvados whereas older Calvados become richer super-premium brandy like where the expression is to reveal complexity and facets, and where the apples characteristics fade away with time.

Consequently cognac is a brandy and more specifically a double distilled grape wine from Charentes, Deux Sevres and Vienne in compliance with the French regulated "appellation d'origine controlee".

What Makes Cognac Outstanding - A Perspective.

An interesting recent article from 'The Star online magazine' reports on Hennessy Cognac in Malaysia. I find this article pertinent as it reveals a set of perspectives on cognac which I believe explains what sets it apart from other types of spirits.

These characteristics are:

1) First it begins with the barrels. Made of French oak, specifically sourced from the forests of Limousin.

2) Light barrel toasting. When barrels are made they are burnt or rather fired inside to stimulate the chemical reaction with the contact of the spirits aging inside. The more you toast the bolder the smoky taste and the lesser other flavors will come out. There is a debate about toasting versus burning oak barrels. The difference is like when you prepare your breakfast and you have to set your brand new toaster (a) you do not know if 1 or 2 minutes will do and (b) everyone has a different preference in how much they like their bread to be toasted. An error of setting will get you to burn your toasts. Sometimes oak barrels are consciously burnt. cognac or armagnac's barrels are toasted, bourbon's oak barrels are for instance burnt. Try bourbon and you will see an overwhelming smoky taste because of that. Now, there is no good or bad, it is a question of tradition and choice.

3) Longer aging of eaux-de-vie. In general and by comparison cognac are aged longer. For instance, Tequilas are aged 5 years maximum. Why because a good tequila is about tasting the quality of the agaves being used to make it and with extended aging this goes away and it defeats the nature of this spirit.

4) Assemblage. I say assemblage rather than 'blending' as this term is being looked down as a way of getting ride of bad blends by mixing with good blends. Assemblage is more of a conscious type of selective blending - so I will say assemblage instead. And I insist cognac is about assemblage who ever is trying to tell you the opposite is wrong - period. "Single this" and "single that" is just inferior cognac but I agree the non-blended cognacs are more unique and why not trying them - but again this is not the nature of what cognac is about.

5) Factors like the weather, soil conditions and the timing of t he harvest. Terroir and tradition makes cognac a unique and original product.

6) Hence importance of the cellar. The cellar dryness and humidity dictate the smoothness and aromas. Higher humidity are favored.

7) Officially and/or unofficially endorsed by famous hip hop entertainers. Celebrities just do not drink eaux-de-vie or grapas, etc... That does not mean they are right.

8) I will add that cognac is the most expensive liquor. A bottle of cognac fetched 1 million yuan (US$156,740) at a recent auction in Shanghai, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, announcing the importance China will be taking in the market for the high-end liquors. This bottle was bought as a gift from a daughter to her father. It could happen to me, I have a daughter!

Source: Reference: http://tinyurl.com/7gjydx8
Source: Photo: http://www.gomoneyways.com/?p=43010

Remy Martin is Lowering the Price of its VSOP in Canada for the Holidays

The Record.com has just announced that Remy Martin has started discounting its cognacs in Canada to seize the opportunity of increasing sales during the end-of-the-year shopping season. VSOP Cognac has lowered its prices for the holidays. From now until the end of the year, both VSOP labels — the regular bottle and the limited edition glow-in-the-dark Urban Lights package are reduced by $15 a bottle, from $89.95 to $74.95.

Remy Martin VSOP uses the term “Fine Champagne” on most of its labels. Champagne in this context means “country,” from an old French "campagne" and it has nothing to do with the sparkling wine made with grapes from the north east of France. I maybe wrong but I strongly associate Remy Martin with "fine champagne" as far as I am concerned I give them credit for this concept.
The Fine Champagne is an "appellation d'origine controlee" AOC which describes a cognac made from the double distillation of  grapes exclusively coming from the Grande and Petite Champagne designated areas within the Cognac region.
Source:   http://tinyurl.com/7ub9co3

Cigar Aficionado is Honoring Pairing with Cognac

The  Big Smoke Las Vegas ended with the traditional partnering of cigars with spirits, this year with the time-honored pairing of smoke with Cognac.

Read more at:

http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/16195

Philippe Coste, A Successful Career In the Cognac Region!

Since Bernard Guionnet passed away in April 2011, Philippe Coste, the President of Cognac Meukow is the new interim President of the Bureau National Interprofessionel du Cognac. In September 26th 2011, he was elected President of the Union of Cognac Houses [Syndicat des maisons de cognac (SMC)]. These 3 presidencies are remarkable levels of achievements as well as many difficult responsibilities to balance. Patrick Piana CEO of Cognac Rémy Martin will serve as vice-president of the SMC.
Cognac Meukow is part of the Compagnie de Guyenne. Philippe Coste is a very representative president as his company is made of 85 employees, and it is family owned and operated. 


Source: Photo: Cognac Meukow
Source: News: www.charentelibre.fr

House Hunters International in Search of a 'House of Cognac' for Comandon Cognac

While you may not know the Vignerons, you may have heard of Comandon Cognac. Franck Vigneron is the owner of Comandon Cognac. Home and Garden TV will air for the first time an episode of House Hunters International which shows the Vignerons looking for a home in Cognac to re-established the House of Comandon. The House Hunters International show is very popular and this is not the first time they show an episode in Cognac, but it will be the first time it presents a search for a "House of Cognac".  The show consists in a couple looking to relocate in a different country. In general, they show the current house where these people live, and then go along with the couple in the selected country to visit 3 different houses and eventually purchase one. The TV Show airs for the first time tomorrow evening.
HGTV, House Hunter International  --->  http://tinyurl.com/3ppe84x 
Episode Name: Historic Homes in France's Cognac Country
Episode Number: HHINT-2905H
First Time on TV: Thursday 10th November 2011.
 . Pacific and Eastern = 9:30pm and later at night at 12.30am
 . Central = 8.30pm and 11.30pm
 . Mountain = 7.30pm and 10.30pm

Château de Chanteloup is the Historic Residence of Jean Martell, Founder of the Cognac Company in 1715.

The Chateau of Chanteloup is an amazing castle in the North suburbs of the city of Cognac, surrounded by 147 hectares of vineyards.  This beautiful castle can be seen from a far distance from a flat plateau area in the Borderies region. It reminds me of old manors I had seen when I lived in Scotland but also the typical master homes you would find in Normandy. It makes me think in particular at the hunting lodge and horse breeding centers that one can find along the scenic roads of Normandy. In fact, it is all picture perfect for the Chateau of Chanteloups has it faces the Cognac Equestrian Center. I do not think this castle has a typical cognac architecture and style but rather anglo-saxon. Perhaps, it reflects the origin of the Martells who were British people coming from Jersey Island since this is known as the castle of Jean Martell, the founder of Cognac Martell in 1715. The chateau is used for many recreational activities by the Cognac Martell company now inthe hands of the Pernod-Ricard group. Some of these activities includes training and seminars of employees, distributors, ... A few weeks ago I was speaking with someone who manages this Chateau and I could not believe the amount of people and work that happens in this place.
The Chateau de Chanteloup is opened to the public, mostly in the summer, and it can be visited within very specific dates available from the Cognac tourism office [see, www.tourism-cognac.com].
Another option is to win a trip to this castle! The British newspaper The Telegraph offers its viewers to win a trip to Chateau de Chanteloup at this time.
[see, <A>http://tinyurl.com/cnfopja</A>]
Source Photo: www.telegraph.co.uk 

The 1800s Perhaps Had Lighter and Fruiter Cognacs

Cognacs were not always dark, heavy, and woody after-dinner sipping spirit says Tony  Sachs in his recent article from The Huffington Post on Food and Drink.

<A>www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-sachs/drinking-the-past-new-spi_b_1066859.html</A>

He particularly review and discuss Cognac Ferrand's latest addition "Pierre Ferrand Cognac 1840 Original Formula" which is blended as a replica of cognacs from the 1800s.  Ferrand focused on creating a lighter and fruitier cognac which is also meant to be mixed for the enjoyment of cocktails.

I cannot more agree with him but how can one change people's habits? I recently went to a cognac promotion in a large liquor store. I was amazed by the number of people who said that they liked brand X better and it was the best, and at the same time who admitted that they had never tried any other brands. Every time I wondered how would they know? It is like a person saying "I like pizza marguerita and it is the best" when they never had any other food in their life - how would they know. Cognac is like many other things in life, the more one knows the harder it becomes to have only a single favorite.

Learn - try - learn - even change your mind ... Personally, I like a lot of different cognacs for different reasons and perhaps for different times. There are some cognacs I can drink all the time and some other for special occasions. There are even a number of cognacs I keep for breaking my routines, I do not specifically like them but there are so different that they make a nice change in my classic cognac sets.

That reminds me. Who is the most famous woman in the world ...? [silence ...] I give you a tip she turned 125 years old last week.

Not sure! Another tip she is the symbol of freedom, liberty, equality, ... democracy, and of Amercia. Yes - that 's right - that is the Statue of Liberty in NY celebrated 125 years saluting the entry of New York harbor last week. She was a gift from France to participate in the centennial International Exhibition to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in summer 1876. The Statue of Liberty was design by Frederic August Bartholdi and engineered by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel who made himself famous by the tower he engineered in Paris soon after.

Feel free to experience your independence and try new cognacs. They may be not new to the world but new to you.

Photo: (c) 2011 Elcobbola, Wikimedia Commons.

Should Legislation Forbid Liquor-Related Messages in Lyrics?

Music industry and musicians are not making as much money as before because the music industry as significant changed since loosing revenues from selling records because of illegal downloading and sharing. So musicians are increasing their ties with branded goods. This phenomenon has significantly last June 2011 when the Majors (meaning the big production companies) decided to recover expenses from deals musicians used to be making directly from product placements and such. Hence, the current high level of appearances of big alcoholic brands in popular music is a consequence of strengthening ties between the alcohol companies and music industries. So much that a large number of celebrities have now launched their own brand of spirits. Nobody has been able to download a vodka yet and these businessmen/musicians are encouraged to find other streams of revenues. According to a recent study teens hear 34 liquor brands message a day in rap and hip-hop music since they listen to music on average 2 1/2 hours per day. The problem is that adolescent are increasingly having problems with abuse and addiction of alcoholic beverages and the lyrics from these songs may appear like underage advertising and share some responsibility with alcoholic related issues with teens.
see FOX NEWS for more details: http://tinyurl.com/3f5d22n
see ABC NEWS for more details: http://tinyurl.com/3ruvwnt

I hope the music industry takes a position on this matter before it is taken by legislation.

The Philippines is an Emerging Market for Cognac, Specially High-End Cognacs

The Philippines is becoming an important market for the largest cognac houses with many cognac events and promotions being organized in recent months. For instance, Remy Martin is organizing many upscale events and celebrations in Manila. In particular, with its Cognac Louis XIII they are getting a great deal of interest from the local well-to-do people.

The Philippines is a new emerging market for cognac where there is a lot of information and education that needs to be made. I note that in a recent article reporting on this subject of cognac in the Philippines that there may be some confusions still for what is cognac  "... One can rightfully say Louis XIII Grand Cognac is top of the line, for the true champagne connoisseur." By  Maurice Arcache, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Wednesday, October 26th, 2011.

It appears to me that there is a confusion between cognac and champagne, both are very prestigious and quality beverage appellations from France based on grape wines but ultimately they are two separate products that should not be associated beside perhaps in a cocktail [see French 75 cocktail]. Cognac should be more than a prestigious drink consumed for the purpose of conspicuous consumption. I strongly believe that education is key to reveal the facets of this spirit. This is the reason why it takes a long time for people to be interested in cognac as it takes a slow and involving relationship to  slowly acquire knowledge and experience with different spirits and to be able to compare and recognize the superiority of cognac.

Another recent connection between cognac and The Philippines has been Hennessy signing a multimillion- dollar agreement with the boxing legend Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao. [see: <a>http://tinyurl.com/3ejc3eu</a>]
Manny is the classic success story form the boxing and/or sport history. He is the kid of a large family with separated parents, he spent some times on the streets of Manila. He started a professional boxing career in 1995 when he was 16 years and became a local star boxing underweight in his weight category. What is the most amazing to me is that he has succeeded to be a world champion in four different weight classes. It is outstanding to be a world champion in just one class and I cannot imagine the sacrifices and dedication required to meet the different weights of the different classes! In addition, Manny is acting, creating music recordings, and more recently he entered in politics in The Philippines. In May 2010, Pacquiao was elected to the House of Representatives in the 15th Congress of the Philippines, representing the province of Sarangani where he is originally from.

This deal with Hennessy Cognac will not only serve the purpose of the brand in The Philippines but it will be carried into the other world markets where Mr. Pacquiao is an icon, but also through the positive image that this man carries through his successful endeavor in general.

Fun Cognac Glasses

These glasses have always attracted my attention as I find them very original. Have you had any experience with them?

Created by Danish designer Rikke Hagen for Normann Copenhagen designer products, they look fantastic indeed. However, one should not warm cognac unless it was served too cold and hence require to be warmed. With these glasses I would have tendency to hold them and thus warm the cognac. Perhaps one is supposed to just play with them and let the cognac swirl and give you a nice bouquet while you keep the glass moving. It sounds great and it is surely hedonic - why not I will have to try them.

These glasses are available at: cognacglasses.com

I cannot believe there is a company smart enough which has started paying attention and specializing into cognac glasses. We will make a review of these and come back to you about it in the near future. Another one of my favorite online store for cognac glasses is: 

www.sparklingstemware.com

Cognac and Blues in NY this Wed. 2nd Nov. 2011

Cognac and Blues have a lot in common smooth, soft, elegant, refined, .... The city of Cognac also offers one of the nicest blues festival every July for the past 20 years. However, if you missed the last festival this past summer in France and you are in New York this Wednesday 2nd Nov. 2011 at 6.30pm. Go to the City Winery to experience a rare tasting of the high-end Family Tradition Cognacs paired with the sounds of the authentic Chicago Blues. You will learn a wealth of information about Cognac and the differences between these artisan brands vs. mass-produced “industrial” ones. Your perception of this golden spirit will be changed forever. A truly rare tasting experience!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011     6:30 pm seating / 7:00 pm show        Tickets: $55

www.citywinery.com

Cognac is Becoming Mainstream - Hip Hop Hourah!!

"Cognac, it seems, is having a moment, and it’s making its move from rap lyrics and Mad Menboardrooms to the mainstream" is announcing Amalie Drury
at the end of October 2011 in one of her article [The Chaser] about brown liquors and nightlife. Could it be true? It seems that Cognac owns it survival to the Hip Hop artists who originally supporter the rebirth of cognac in the USA by embracing the idea of conspicuous consumption and ostentatious lifestyle. Hennessy is the brand of cognac most cited in Rap lyrics says Maurice Hennessy in this interview with Amalie. Hennessy Cognac has successfully managed to be the cognac of many different targets and it has kept a substantial perception of exclusivity amongst these targets all at the same time. It may seem that it is simple to do but it is a balance act that only a few can do. Toyota has dreamt of doing this for all these years but it has eventually gave up to finally create Lexus and later Scion etc...

It is not just exciting to see that cognac is coming back but also other classic brown spirits are coming back such as Bourbon. Amalie Drury who is a Kentucky native has a natural inclination for Bourbon but she did not turned down the opportunity to try out tasting cognacs and see for herself what this is all about. In summary and by comparison, one could say that cognac is smooth and rich, soft and surprising. Mostly surprising when when ordered by a woman admitted Amalie. Cognac is also becoming a trendy source for making cocktails. It is more flexible than one would believe - not just a new marketing gimmick.

Read more from the source of this blog:

http://tinyurl.com/3tsup48

Cognac and Shoplifting: A Real Prejudice

Just by curiosity I did a number of searches on the Internet to identify which spirits and/or liquors get to be the most stolen on the shelves. Well, guess what? It seems that Cognac, Scotch and Champagne seemed to be the favorite. In fact, last Tuesday 25th Oct. 2011, an online source from an ABC TV channel reported two people stealing cognacs in a store and being recorded by a video camera. (see the report:  http://tinyurl.com/3er7xpj). 

A research from the UK points out that 1% of the products in a store is at risk for shoplifting (www.retailresearch.org).

• A normal supermarket has at least  35,000 product lines and 100,000 in a department store, which makes at least 350 items and 1,000 products respectively being stolen on average per year.
• I have always been amazed by the amount of security made for Razor and  shaving products. In many cases, you have to ask somebody to open a cabinet, like you would do for buying an expensive bottle of cognac.  This is because  it has been the No. 1 stolen products for many years but is now losing its place because of new security systems and display limitation. Interestingly, only men razors seem to be shoplifted. Perhaps, they are better after all.
• So what is the most stolen product in stores. Sadly, it is meat products - where are we going?

Business Insurance reports that alcoholic beverages and in particular cognac is the 5th most stolen product in stores (www.businessinsurance.org). Apparently, teenagers driven by curiosity and a bad economy are the two main reasons for driving shoplifting of spirits. Drunk patrons are mostly stealing cheaper liquors I guess because they are lower on the shelves!!

Living the Life of a Jet Lagger: Some Advises from Patrick Piana - CEO of Rémy Martin

Patrick Piana is the CEO of Rémy Martin. In a recent article from CNN Money online he gives us his perspective on how to survive the jet-lags from 140 days of international traveling between mostly Asia - USA - and Europe. Married with three children he seems to have found a successful balance with the demanding pressure of his responsibilities. In this article, he gives 3 recommendations. (1) bring a pair of comfortable shoes to allow for some exercise to distress, (2) sleep as much as possible in the planes bring hear plugs, and (3) stay in the CBDs of cities where you go with hotels that you know - hence no surprises and a central place to meet with everyone. At 42 years old Patrick Piana has had already a successful career in the management of luxury brands with LVMH, Pernod, and Philip Morris. There is no doubt that his experience and vigorous energy will serve the increasing needs of Rémy's developing markets.

Source: read more details at CNN Money Online:
http://tinyurl.com/3gzeoe6

Sales, Prices and Who Cares of Necessities

Cognac sales keep rising according to French parent companies of Martell and Remy Martin. This situation is mostly fueled by Asian markets and the continuous momentum of lifting sales in the US.

In an article from Reuters Paris last week, an official representative from Remy concluded that there was a sign of recovery in the US!

["All group divisions and all regions contributed to this performance. Growth rates were particularly outstanding in Asia. Signs of the recovery in the U.S. and Western Europe are confirmed," the maker of Remy Martin cognac, Cointreau liqueur and Mount Gay Rum said in a statement.]

Interestingly, Remy noticed that the rising prices of Cognac in Asia were also positive factors of growth. That reminds me of my economics classes where it was mentioned about price elasticity and the different effect that it had for luxuries where compared to necessities a price increase would increase demand. Hence, cognac is a luxury!

Hennessy NYX Just Released

Starting December 1, 2011 a few retailers in the USA will carry the latest cognac released by Hennessy. The bottle uses the iconic VSOP shape with a platinum finish. This is not the first shiny model from this VSOP line but it is the first which integrates labels with luminescent ink only visible at night. This model is specifically called Hennessy Privilege NyX bottle and will be sold approx. $50. Each bottle will be marked with a limited edition number, as well as a flash code tag that can be scanned by smart phones to unlock access to Hennessy's mobile hub. Sorry we do not know what happens once you get to the hub!

Pernod Ricard May be the New Owner of Courvoisier - What Would Martell Think?

Today an interesting thing is unfolding in the world of big money where shares of faceless big companies are taking overs of each other making the spirits industry even harder for small brands. Today Bloomberg and Goldman Sachs are announcing possible change of hands for Beam Inc. Beam Inc is the owner of multiple brands of spirits including Courvoisier Cognac. Potential companies predicted to take over are the two European spirits companies Pernod Ricard or Diageo. In both cases, it makes for an interesting scenario. In the case of Diageo, they already own multiple agreements and business shares of Hennessy Cognac in association with LVMH. A take over Courvoisier from Diageo would create some tensions for sure. On the other hand, Pernod Ricard is the well known owner of Martell, now the 2nd largest cognac company. If PR was to take over Courvoisier - what would happen!
I can hardly imagine what it must be to manage one of these Houses but two!! There would be certainly some difficult decisions and it may not be in the advantage of Courvoisier.
Read more at:http://tinyurl.com/3heza89

Cognac Ferrand - Another Great Blogger Shows Interest in Cognac

Geoff Kleinman is very active in the blogging community and the spirits' tasting community. He has recently joined The Tasting Panel Magazine's list of reviewers and he was a judge in 2011 for the World Spirits Competition in San Francisco. We are delighted to read his blogs and see his personal review of Cognac Pierre Ferrand. Cognac Ferrand is another smaller cognac producer who is actively involved in every level of the production and sourcing of cognacs. It is owned and managed by Alexandre Gabriel who has energized the company with is a large numer of product lines extansions such as with a Gin, named Citadel but also a range of rums. They are also the producer of a quantity of cognac brands such as Landy.
Read more at: http://tinyurl.com/3lu2sah

Courvoisier Connoisseur Collection with Declared Age Statement in Canada

Beam Global Spirits & Wines, the owner of Courvoisier Cognac is launching the first cognacs with declared age statements “a la mode” of whiskies. These are not vintages nor they are the first declared aged cognacs in Canada, but precisely the first “declared age” cognacs marketed in Canada by one of the four major cognac houses (i.e., Courvoisier being the 4th, far away in volume behind Remy Martin). Being large does not make you better but it helps in getting you to do big things. It is a big thing for a cognac maker to engage in a long-term production of declared age cognacs. In the opinions of many master cellars it is something almost impossible to do because one would have to go through so many obstacles such as administrative, customs, cellar management, blendings, stocks, sourcing, etc… It is actually not necessary to make a cognac better to have it warrantied within a certain age systematically. What it really does is help consumers, particularly “whisky drinkers” to compare against whyskies, or have some objective measures of age, etc… The problem is that whiskies, for instance Scotch Whyskies do not have to be 12 years old to be declared “12 YO”. But in fact, only 50% of the whisky blend (blend or not) in the bottle will have to be 12 YO. When in cognac to be declared 12 YO, the youngest age in the bottle will have to be 12 YO. When you think about it, this makes a huge difference. Another interesting fact, is that they have made the bottles look like an oldie, classic, perhaps even kind of similar to traditional “vintages”. This is another risk as one may have noticed that this is the look that has slowly disappeared from the product of the four cognac makers.

We will keep on eye on how this develops and we will report to our faithful readers how it unfolds!
Learn more at:

http://tinyurl.com/3lkr3yo

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