BRAND EQUITY IS IMPORTANT, AND BIG BRANDS KNOW THIS

This title of an article caught my attention: 

"Samsung Wants You to Sip Some Hennessy: A Quad-Core Clamshell Phone with A Keyboard and Dual Screens"

In fact it has nothing to do with Hennessy Cognac but with one of the new smart phones launched recently by SAMSUNG (model SCH-W789). It is just strange that they would call it 'Hennessy' perhaps not as strange as making a flip phone. Wait a minute flip phones are still very popular in China.

Smartphone SAMSUNG Hennessy (model SCH-W789)

Is this phone to be sold in China?

Could it be a phone just sold in China?

Actually, yes. Therefore, perhaps it is not a coincidence that it is called Hennessy after all since Hennessy is one of the most popular brand. Is Hennessy Cognac OK with this?

Probably not! But SAMSUNG is a big company and from Korea so who would want to rub against them. LVMH? 

LVMH could but they have other thinks to do than run after these kind of things. Not really, they have to take seriously any kind of copy cats, counterfeits, or trademark confusions coming from individuals or organization says Uché OKONKWO at the 2011 International Conference on “Luxury and Counterfeiting" in Geneva.

Brand Equity is made of 4 dimensions: Awareness, Association, Quality and Loyalty.

Brand Awreness is divided into 2 factors:

• Brand Recognition: the capacity of a brand to be known by a specific target. The target may not know what the brand does but they recognize it.
• Brand Recall: given a product category, for instance luxury watch, the brand that a target would mention for this category is brand recall. Recall is more important to get than recognition. Recognition is better than nothing and the first level of brand familiarity.
• Brand Recall helps in building brand consideration sets, i.e., level of awareness in which a target is most likely to buy when searching for internal information at a point of readiness stage.

Sources:

Android Headlines

NELSON MANDELA IS TO BE REMEMBERED FOR ITS LEGACY ON BUILDING A BETTER SOUTH AFRICA

South Africa is considered the 16th largest market for cognac consumption and one of the 2 most fastest growing market in Africa with Nigeria. South Africa is a natural market for cognac. Why? Remember "brandy" is not English but originally a Dutch word, i.e., brandewijn (burnt wine), and South Africa was largely influenced by the Dutch.

South African largest liquor company is named Distell Group Limited. They purchased Cognac Bisquit just a few years ago (2009), and it has just acquired a 60% share in fast-growing liquor distribution company CJ Wines & Spirits‚ expanding its presence in the East.

Privately owned CJ is based in Zhongshan in the Pearl Valley Delta of Guandong province and has operations in Hong Kong‚ Macau and Mainland China. South China is referred to as the country’s “cognac belt” as this is where most cognac is consumed.

The new venture‚ now trading as Distell China‚ is headed by MD Rody Wong‚ who previously ran CJ Wines & Spirits. Wong‚ a former Apple and Seagram executive‚ who has worked in the US and Asia‚ has established a strong support base for the Bisquit cognac brand‚ which Distell bought in 2009. Wong said Distell China’s focus would be on building the presence of Bisquit in the southern part of the country initially.

Today South Africa lost a major personality of its history. Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela  (18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) died following a long illness on 5 December 2013 at his home in Johannesburg.

Mandela was a South African anti-apartheid revolutionary and politician who served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the first black South African to hold the office, and the first elected in a fully representative, multiracial election. His government focused on dismantling the legacy of apartheid through tackling institutionalised racism, poverty and inequality, and fostering racial reconciliation.

Mandela painted at the DDC. Courtesy of Organ Museum ©2011. Photographed by Thierry Ehrmann.

 He nevertheless gained international acclaim for his anti-colonial and anti-apartheid stance, having received more than 250 honours, including the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize, the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Soviet Order of Lenin. He is held in deep respect within South Africa, where he is often referred to by his Xhosa clan name, Madiba, or as Tata ("Father"); he is often described as "the father of the nation".

We felt so inspired in 1995 when Nelson Mandela, in his first term as the South African President, initiated a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land by enlisting the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup. This story was made famous in the movie Invictus (2009) played with famous actors Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon, and Tony Kgoroge, and directed by Clint Eastwood. 

It was an honor to everyone who met him and an inspiration for freedom.

Source: Fin24

Source: Wikipedia

EXQUISITE COGNACS SUCH AS COMANDON OR BISQUIT, AND VINTAGE COGNACS LIKE FROM 1822 WILL BE AUCTIONED IN PARIS NEXT WEEK

Maître Christophe MOREL from Sarl Christophe MOREL will auction a list of most sought after wine and spirits next week in Paris (Tuesday, December 10 2013 at 2:00 PM in Drouot Richelieu).

This public auction will include a list of rare wines but also an exquisite selection of rare cognacs including: Cognac Comandon Trois Etoiles from the 50s, Cognac Grande Champagne Héritiers Marquis de Lep from the 19th century, Cognac Bisquit Dubouche Trois Etoiles from the 50s, Cognac Grande Fine champagne Grande réserve CAVO from 1822, with the Coats of Arms of Rothschild (avec les armoiries des Rothschild à 4 branches sur l'étiquette), etc.

Sarl Christophe MOREL Auction at Drouot Richelieu 2013

This auction will include very desirable wines such as: Mouton Rothschild 1959 Pauillac, Château Talbot 1961 Saint Julien, Château Latour 1929 Pauillac 1st Grand Cru, Château Cheval Blanc 1967 St Emilion 1st Grand Cru, Château Beau Site 1964 Saint Estèphe, Château La Fleur 1966 Pomerol, Mouton Rothschild 1955 Pauillac, Château Mauras 1970 Sauternes, Château d'Yquem 1901 Sauternes, Mouton Rothschild 1947 Pauillac Magnum, Château Cheval Blanc 1964 Saint Emilion 1st Grand Cru, Château Marquis de St Estephe 1971, etc.

Sarl Christophe MOREL Auction at Drouot Richelieu 2013

SALE VENUE: 

• DROUOT RICHELIEU
  9 rue Drouot
  75009 Paris

EXHIBITIONS :

• Monday, December 9 2013 from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM : Drouot Richelieu, salle 8.

Sources: Interencheres for Maître Christophe MOREL from Sarl Christophe MOREL

APPLYING PAVLOV AND HIS DOG THEORY TO SELL WINE & SPIRITS

I think consumers should learn more about the true origin of products and what the products are meant to be rather than pay attention to vague details.

In most cases, products are bought for the appeals. Either a physical appeal or a brand appeal or a promotion appeal.

. Physical Appeal: people buy with their eyes and are influenced by aesthetics and fashion.

. Brand Appeal: most sold brands are building growth on the concept of popularity.

. Promotion Appeal: either a discount or an extra products or the use of a celebrity endorsement can increase sales.

. More often than not, consumers are blind sided by simple conditional responses. Let's review 2 conditioned stimuli for the liquor industry.

---> Stimulus 1 = Item descriptions

Three Examples of Item Descriptions

Example 1
Matured in both traditional sherry casks and heavily peated casks. On the nose, it displays aromas of dried bitter orange complemented by softer notes of lemon peels, cardamom and anise. The palate is rich with notes of lemon, grapefruit and toffee that merge with rich spiced apple and liquorice undertone. The long finish leaves behind hickory smoke, toasted cloves and light vanilla.

Example 2
On the nose, it displays bold, complex aromas of orange peel, ginger, nutmeg, clove and other baking spices which are complemented by notes of charred oak, caramel, and a hint of gingerbread. Full-bodied and rich on the palate, sweet, warming notes of caramel and vanilla are followed by rye-spice and mint flavors, which blend seamlessly into butterscotch and dark chocolate on the long, crisp finish.

Example 3
It has been carefully distilled to capture the nuance of the malted barley, then aged in new charred American oak barrels for ten months. The resulting spirit is floral with harmonious notes of vanilla, caramel and sweet spice leading to a hint of dark chocolate on the finish.

. These notes were created to signal quality and to appeal to consumers based on conditioned words. In this situation, the conditioned words are: vanilla, orange, caramel, spice, and chocolate in most case.

---> Stimulus 2: ratings

Another typical classical conditioning is the use of ratings. Ratings are made to help consumers quickly make decisions. Consumers in many situations try to save mental energy and for this purpose they learn in many different ways including classical conditioning. Hence, marketers have created these ratings for this purpose, i.e., to create a simple "heuristic" to speed decision making.

Example:
2010 Château de Somewhere ($49.99): It exhibits a deep plum color as well as sweet aromas of kirsch, cassis, licorice and lavender. Richly fruity and pure with low acidity and terrific purity, it should drink well for 10-12 years. 94 points by XX, 92 points by XX, 90 points by XX

A statue of the Nobel Prize-winning physiologist Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849-1936), Institute of Experimental pathology and Therapy, at Sukhumi, Caucasus.

Classical conditioning (also called Pavlovian Conditioning) was made famous by Ivan Pavlov when he revealed the "conditioned reflex" of salivations from his dogs. Pavlov, the "master" was able to dominate his 'dogs' by conditioning them. Classical conditioning is a powerful tool mostly in favor of the marketers (masters) and not so much in favor of the consumers (dogs). Sorry!

Source Photo: Я автор этой фотографии (Wikipedia)

MAISON J.R. BRILLET CREATES COGNAC AMUNDSEN FOR THE NORWEGIAN LIQUOR MARKET

When I was a teenager I dreamt of being an explorer like Indiana Jones, Neil Armstrong, Jack London, or Roald Amundsen etc.

Perhaps, Amundsen more than anyone else because he proved to be the most resilient. He was the least likely to succeed according to its critics, a perfect underdog, and the most patient, perhaps enjoying the greatest popularity after his death. He was the first to use sled dogs for his expedition and constantly innovated to survive in his environment.

Roald Amundsen

Maison J.R. Brillet, for the Norwegian liquor market, created a series of cognac named Amundsen. "In the design concept we went back to the roots, back to nature, and accentuated the taste by using the colors, shapes and movements from the grape fields and from the production" says Per Erik Larsen, the designer.

Cognac Amundsen, for Norwegian Liquor Market by Brillet

Amundsen Cognac

Amundsen Cognac

Amundsen Cognac

The project was in collaboration with Allegro Tønsberg. Amundsen cognac are now available in the norwegian liquor stores.

Sources: Per Erik Larsen

Sources: San Diego Air & Space Museum at Flickr Commons.

COGNAC ROULLET-FRANSAC JUST BOUGHT BY CHANGYU PIONEER WINE CO

Changyu Pioneer Wine Co Inc, more commonly recognized under Chateau Changyu or simply Changyu is the oldest and largest winery in China. In the past 10 years, it has developed an impressive number of partnerships with the most significant being with the French Castel group which dominates the French production of wines in volume.

Changyu Logo

Hence, this company has a very European style in everything it does: Chateau Castels and Chateau Moser are buildings constructed like European castles but using the most advanced production methods.

Personally, I was impressed the first time I saw a bottle of wine produced by Changyu as I could see a right the balance of things on it to make me feel comfortable and familiar with, and a touch of details just enough to remind me it was Chinese.

Changyu Pioneer Wines

The big news these past few days is that Changyu just purchased Roullet-Fransac, a small cognac negociant whose business was slowing down. These past 5 years, Georges Roullet had mentioned he was selling its business including the impressive property on the docks of Cognac, corner of rue Saulnier and Quai des Flamands, direct neighbor with the impressive headquarter of Cognac Hennessy.

A few months ago some Armenians almost made a deal but it fell apart and I knew that this business would go to an impressive and large Chinese wine & spirit business. It was obvious! Roullet-Fransac were savvy in getting the property from the Firino-Martell years back when this family passed the relay to Pernod-Ricard, and now the world economy is such than the Chinese are leading the expansion. Cognac has never really been totally French. Many cultures have influenced the advance and stability of Cognac/ cognac: the Dutch, the English, the Russians, the Japanese, the Rappers and now the Chinese.

The newspaper the Sud Ouest has had a poll where 90% of the people have voted that they were worried that this was going to be a loss more than a gain for cognac (www.sudouest.fr).

This news brings two things: (1) people including Chinese are investing in cognac, and (2) Hennessy might not be the biggest company in Cognac anymore but it could be Roullet-Fransac now!

CL WORLD BRANDS SELLS COGNAC HINE TO EDV SAS. WHAT HAPPENS TO DAVIDOFF & MONNET COGNACS?

2013 is  an important year for Hine:

(1)  Hine celebrates its 250th anniversary,

and (2) Hine was for sale and found a new owner.

It was in the air for the past  3 years as CL World Brands, which operates as a subsidiary of CL Financial, was going through some difficult times.

In 2009, Struggling Caribbean company CL Financial Limited came under the management of the Trinidad and Tobago government following a bail out.

Founded in 1763, Hine specialises in vintage Cognacs, which are released in limited quantities after a minimum ageing.

Hine Cognac, Product Portfolio 

In 1962, Hine was granted a royal warrant from Queen Elizabeth II, as suppliers of Cognac. It is still the only Cognac house to this day. I see Hine as the most British brand of cognac. Although largest brands are pretty much all connected to this part of the world (i.e. including Ireland). That is Hennessey, Martell, Remy Martin, Courvoisier, Hine, Hardy, etc. Why so many Anglo-British brand?

Well, they historically were the largest consumers. And my personal take is they were the best businessmen too! Hence, the designation for cognac VS (very special), VSOP (very superior old pale), and XO (extra old). Originally, the designation were in French: fine cognac (=VS), vieille fine cognac (=VSOP), and Hors d'Age (=XO). But these designations did not mean much in the native languages of the majority of the consumers which explains why English designations became the norm. Some brands still uses the French designations. Comandon Cognac for instance uses both French and English, see below.

Comandon Cognac Very Superior Old Pale, Vieille Fine, VSOP

CL World Brands, which operates as a subsidiary of CL Financial, has completed the sale of Thomas Hine and Company Cognac house to EDV SAS for an undisclosed amount, estimated at 60 million of Euros according to the newspaper Charente Libre.

EDV SAS, a French firm, is managed by the descendants of the family behind wine trader and retailer Établissements Nicolas. So at the end, Hine can celebrate its 250th with a big Cocorricco, since the brand is back to French ownership!

Logo Magasin Nicolas

Commenting on the transaction, EDV SAS was quoted by guardian.co.tt as saying, "Our strategy is to pursue the development and outreach of the Hine brand, in preserving its exclusive positioning on the market and the exceptional quality of its products, as well as in perpetuating the traditional values of its founding family."

Something there is no doubt Bernard Hine is appreciating!

Nicolas is a reputable retailer of fine wine & spirits established in Paris since 1822. Hine will be a good asset to Nicolas and vice and versa.

Earlier this year, CL Financial sold Appleton rum to Campari (Italy) and Burn Stewart Distillers to Distell (South Africa).

Hine Cognac's product portfolio includes Hine Rare VSOP, Hine Antique XO, Hine Jarnac-matured Vintage Cognacs and Hine Early-Landed Vintage Cognacs with an annual turn over of 14 million euros.

However, one has to wonder what will happen to Cognac Davidoff, a licensed brand which Hine just recently acquired from Hennessy, and also Cognac Monnet which were additional brands which Hine owned!

Source: Spirits Drinks Business

Source Photos: www.hinecognac.com

COGNAC FOOD PAIRING WITH MAURICE HENNESSY AT LUCQUES IN THE USA (Los Angeles California)

Who said food cannot be paired with cognac?!

On October 2nd  Hennessy hosted a private dinner with Mr. Maurice Richard Hennessy at Lucques Restaurant in Los Angeles, CA. Guests entered into the rustic carriage house of the original Harold Lloyd estate and were greeted with a perfectly-concocted glass of the Hennessy “Apple Fiz”, which were passed out by several of Hennessy’s stunning samplers. Guests mingled with Mr. Hennessy and enjoyed passed appetizers created by Lucque’s executive chef, Chef Suzanne Goib. They were then seated and Mr. Maurice Hennessy began educating attendees on the many generations of history of Hennessy.

Karen Civil with Maurice Hennessy

Maurice proceeded to introduce the 18-carat and gold labeled bottle of the Hennessy Paradis Imperial designed by Stephanie Balini for a rare tasting of the higher-marqued cognac. Guests sampled the rare blended cognac and were educated on how to taste each of the notes that Paradis Imperial has to offer. They also enjoyed a lavish 3-course meal featuring: Braised Beef and Seelhead Salmon paired with Hennessy’s specialty mixed drinks like: The Hennessy Ginger, Hennessy Spice, and Hennessy Paradis Imperial. After raising a final toast, attendees noshed on a special dessert with a flourless chocolate torta which included roasted dates and was topped with a cup of espresso. 

Source Story and Photo: Karen Civil

LOS ANGELES WILL HAVE THE FIRST AIRPORT BAR IN THE USA OFFERING $20,000 COGNACS

The Los Angeles International Airport is undergoing a full makeover for $4.1 billion dollars. The terminal will have 60 stores and several restaurants.

Travelers will be able to view an 80-foot “Welcome Wall” with images of clouds and the Los Angeles shoreline.

When fully operational in two years, there will be 18 gates, nine of which can accommodate the double-decker Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger plane that holds more than 800 people.

Asian travelers are expected to be a large segment of the clientele and the terminal reflects that, said Michael Lawson, president of the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners.

Los Angeles Airport Remodel

A destination board features two-sided screens showing images and information on destinations when flight information changes for a particular city. People traveling to Hong Kong, for example, would see their departure time alongside a ship with red sails floating on the South China Sea or a map with factoids about Hong Kong's history.

The new Great Hall at Tom Bradley International Terminal will include many international luxury brands such as Hermes, Bvlgari, and Gucci.
There will be also a Parisian-like-bar offering bottles of $20,000 cognacs.

Unfortunately, the terminal is already two years from completion and significantly behind schedule.

Photos: Courtesy Los Angeles Mayor's Office

Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

COGNAC D'USSE GETS A SPECIAL TRAY BY BLOOM DESIGN IN MIAMI

Made of a steel and anchored by the Cross of Lorraine – France’s fabled emblem of courage, honor and perseverance – the D’USSÉ™ bottle and serving tray was designed and created to be utilized in upscale establishments where the bold, yet remarkably smooth Cognac will be enjoyed.

D’USSÉ™ was created by 20-year veteran Cellar Master Michel Casavecchia, and naturally aged at least four and a half years in the cellars of France’s Chateau de Cognac, one of the oldest cognac houses in the country. With a 200-year legacy in blending some of the world’s finest spirits, Chateau de Cognac, holds D’USSÉ™ VSOP as one of its most distinguished accomplishments.

“After years as the curator at the Chateau de Cognac, I was given the opportunity to put my blending skills to the test,” said Casavecchia. “I developed my own vision of a distinctively bold, yet remarkably smooth Cognac. With an appreciation for the heavy responsibility that goes along with every decision in the Cognac making process, I was honored to set forth an important legacy with D’USSÉ.”

Cognac D'Usse Tray

Cognac D'Usse Tray

Cognac D'Usse Tray

Source Story and Photos: originally posted by www.bloommiami.com on March 15, 2013

CBS TELLS US ABOUT 6 BARS IN NEW YORK TO DRINK COGNAC

A few weeks ago, CBS news reported the 6 best bars in NEW YORK serving cognac. This is a recurrent theme these days very much dwarfed by the whisky or scotch categories indeed but remarkably growing. Cognac is the 'comeback spirit' they said, returning to New Yorkers to tantalize their energy and spirits. They recommend sipping or mixing as a way to return to the drink.

Here are the 6 Bars in New York they recommend for experiencing cognac. What I find interesting is the comeback of Brooklyn as the scene for 'nouveaux bars'...

Brasserie Cognac

1740 Broadway

New York, NY 10019

212-757-3600

www.cognacrestaurant.com

Seduction is the name of the game on the cocktail menu at Brasserie Cognac. The “Rouge a Levre” (Lipstick) marries Hennessy Cognac, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, blackberry jam, cherry puree, and champagne.

Employees Only

510 Hudson St.

New York, NY 10014

212-242-3021

www.employeesonlynyc.com

Employees Only in the West Village, arguably one of the top spots in NYC to watch bartenders work their magic, knows what Cognac can add to a cocktail. They mix up their signature Mata Hari cocktail. The moustached bar men combine Louis Royer Force 53, chai-infused vermouth, and freshly squeezed pomegranate juice yielding a fruity and spicy wintry libation.

Maison Premiere

298 Bedford Ave

Brooklyn, NY 11211

347-335-0446

www.maisonpremiere.com

Maison Premiere Bar Brooklyn

For a take on the classic French 75 cocktail, and a supportive nod to Arnaud’s restaurant in New Orleans, head on over to Maison Premiere in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. On the menu is “Arnaud’s French 75″ (Bach Cognac, fresh lemon juice, sugar and champagne). As you sip and savor this cocktail, you’ll think yourself in the sun and exuberant streets of NOLA’s French Quarter. Pass the oysters, please.

Bar Pleiades

The Surrey Hotel

20 East 76th St.

New York, NY 10021

212-772-2600

www.danielnyc.com/BarPleiades.html

Maison Surrenne, a small-batch family-owned cognac brand, shines through in one of Bar Pleiades’ takes on a classic Brandy Crusta. The Daniel Boulud-run cocktail lounge inside the Upper East Side’ Surry Hotel mixes the cognac with fresh lemon juice, maraschino liqueur, and orange curacao. An elegant blend, indeed, and perfect with the charcuterie platter.

Bar Tabac

128 Smith St

Brooklyn, NY 11201

718-923-0918

www.bartabacny.com

Bar Tabac Brooklyn

At Bar Tabac in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn, you can enjoy a dram of Pierre Ferrand Reserve cognac as an aperitif before plunging into their “Bistro Bites.” Take a close peek at the barrels sitting in the middle of the room, and settle into their comfy red bistro chairs to take a load off.

40/40 Club

6 W. 25th St.

New York, NY 10010

212-832-4040

www.the4040club.com

If VIP rooms dedicated to cognac are more your style, check out the 40/40 Club when they reopen on Jan. 19th after an extensive technological renovation. With names like “Remy Lounge” and “Cognac Room”, you’ll quickly realize what Jay Z’s spirit of choice is. Lounge on the over-sized beds and wrap-around leather couches while you whet your whistle with bottles of Remy Martin cognac. Voila!

Source:

http://newyork.cbslocal.com/top-lists/nycs-6-best-bars-for-cognac-lovers/

Photos: www.maisonpremiere.com and www.bartabacny.com

RAPPER NAS TALKS ABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE VISITING HENNESSY'S FACILITY IN COGNAC

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones better known as Nas is an American rapper and actor. Since 1994, Nas has released eight consecutive platinum and multi-platinum albums and sold over 25 million records worldwide. His tenth studio album, Life is Good was released in 2012.  Nas is also an entrepreneur through his own record label, retail sneaker store, and magazine publishing.

His musical career began in 1991 when he was featured on Main Source’s track "Live at the Barbeque". His debut album Illmatic released in 1994, received universal acclaim from both critics and the hip hop community. It is frequently ranked as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql8m4SK_30k&w=560&h=315]

Nas is often named as one of the top hip hop artists. MTV ranked him at number 5 on their list of The Greatest MCs of All Time and fourth on MTV's "Hottest MCs in the Game" list (2012/2013).

NAS and Jay-Z have been criticizing each other for many years. In fact, one may say that they have a great deal in common per the above but also having made a strong reputation for their engaged lyrics.

NAS is one of the celebrity icons used by Hennessy in their ‘Wild Rabbit’ program launched last year.

Sources: http://www.hennessy.com/us/nas-a-journey-to-cognac

2012 COGNAC APPELLATION D'ORIGNE CONTROLEE PRODUCTION YIELDS STATISTICS

. Cognac yield down to 9.57 hectoliters of pure alcohol per hectare in 2012.
9.57 hectoliters/ha = 957 liters = 252 US Gallons of pure alcohol.

Cognac Vineyards - Fins Bois

. A vineyard producing wine for comparison does:
52 hectoliters/ha = 5200 liters = 1374 US Gallons of wine.

Grapes Harvest  Credit: Wikipedia.com

Can you see something wrong with the cognac harvest photo above? Yes! No!

1. It is not Cognac. Correct! This is on the west coast USA.
2. It is not Cognac AOC authorized grapes. Correct! These are chardonnay grapes.
3. There are watering the vines. Correct! Watering vines is a huge big no-no in Cognac AOC.

Early 2012, the Interprofessional Bureau of Cognac (BNIC) fixed the Cognac yields: 10.83 hectoliters of pure alcohol per hectare.

Every year the BNIC sets the maximum yields per hectare. Everything above this yield has to be sold to make other use than cognac. This limitation from the BNIC is part of the many regulations to control the volume of cognac in the market and therefore to reinforce the status of cognac being an authentic luxury spirits.

In 2012, Charentes (1) vineyards faced strong climatic (from drought to heavy rain) and fungal (mildew and powdery mildew) pressures, the 4.699 farms producing cognacs finally displayed a yield of 9.57 hlAP/ha.

In 2012, the dual-purpose grape varieties from the limited area of Cognac produced 7.54 million hectoliters of wine (-15.5% compared to 2011). 98.7% of this wine production is intended to distillation and production of Cognac eaux-de-vie (this percentage was 95.8% last year).

(1) Cognac AOC overlaps 4 departments (sort of counties): Charente, Charente Maritime, Deux-Sevres, and Dordogne. The 2 Charentes are 97% of it versus the 2 other departments are marginally contributing. Charente and Charente Maritime are often referred to as "Charentes".

Source: www.winealley.com

WHERE ARE THE COGNAC LOUNGES, WHO IS DOING IT AND WHAT IS GOING ON?

As I am meeting many bar and restaurant managers I am sensing people are looking for new ways to set themselves apart. Ways which may include the largest menus, the most expensive place, the trendiest place, the biggest place, the most awarded place, the best location, etc... Recently, many places have started what I would call the "speakeasy revival". That means going back to the roots of the liquor, night life and bar industry. In addition, to this trend comes the craft, artisanal and boutique spirits trend which is also growing quickly. I forecast the combination of all of the above set the trend for theme bars with some bars specializing in clear spirits, other in brown spirits, sooner or later we may see bars focusing on fruit spirits versus grain spirits.

Another side trend might be to develop flights where people sample different products of different categories versus products from the same category but different brands and so forth. This is an exciting time in this industry and one to see many opportunities.

Hence, the slow but evident growing number of Cognac Lounges in the world is giving credence to my forecasts.

In 2013, two lounges opened in Las Vegas, Nevada USA.

1. The restaurant Guy Savoy inside Caesars Palace Las Vegas debuted its Cognac Lounge with an extensive cognac menu, many of which can only be found at the restaurant. The menu will evolve as Restaurant Guy Savoy acquires other bottles.

Guy Savoy Cognac Lounge at the Caesar Palace in Las Vegas

Guy Savoy Cognac Lounge at the Caesar Palace in Las Vegas

2. In the Monte Carlo Las Vegas upstairs from Andre's Restaurant is the Cigar & Cognac Lounge, a world of intimate lighting, rich leather, the glow of the fireplace capturing a glint of amber cognac in a glass and the seductive aroma of fine cigars. The Lounge has a great selection of rare Cognacs and Armagnacs in stunning bottles—some from as early as 1802.

Andre's Cognac Lounge at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas

Andre's Cognac Lounge at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas

Andre's Cognac Lounge at the Monte Carlo in Las Vegas

3. Another cognac lounge is the Cool River Cafe in three locations: Austin, Dallas and Denver. The idea behind "cool river" is to create a place where people can relax and enjoy themselves with a board game or just sit back in a comfortable leather lounger and forget their worldly cares.

Cool River Cafe Cognac Lounge in Austin, Dallas and Denver

4. Few bars in Los Angeles enjoy the fame of the Biltmore's Gallery Bar. It has long been considered one of the best hotel bars in downtown Los Angeles, because its long list of signature martinis, fine wines and exclusive liqueurs. Sip your delicious choice of cocktail along one of the secluded leather banquettes, or retire to the adjacent Cognac Room with its soft couches and wooden cabinets, filled with Biltmore memorabilia. Not many people know it has a cognac room and this should change!

Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles Cognac Room

5. The Brandy Library on 25 N. Moore Street, Tribeca, New York is well know for its huge selections of cognac. It is both a library and a bar, hence the name.

Brandy Library in New York

6. Cognac in Atlanta: the “XO Bar” at the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta is a cognac bar. Hotel bars typically do not have great personality. So when IHG was planning a signature lounge space in the InterContinental Buckhead Atlanta, the idea was to put some soul into it, according to Jean-Pierre Etcheberrigaray, IHG’s Vice President of Food & Beverage for the Americas.

It was his first project as VP, and he decided to conceptualize the bar around a single spirit. After some research and consideration of the market, the choice was cognac. Today the hotel’s XO bar offers more than 60 different labels of cognac. “We have very affordable cognac to very unaffordable cognac — a $500 shot or a $10,000 bottle,” says Jean-Pierre Etcheberrigaray.

XO Bar in Atlanta Intercontinental Hotel

Of all places, one would imagine China to be leading the pack in terms of cognac restaurants and bars. They might in volume but for some reasons they do not seem to claim the image of cognac bars as much as the above examples, with the exception of two bars from the Ritz-Carlton group.

7. The OZONE BAR at the Ritz-Carlton, in Hong Kong.

Ozone Bar Ritz Carlton Hong Kong

8. The Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Lobby Bar in China.

Portman Bar in the Ritz-Carlton in Shangai

9. The Baudelaire Bar, in the Burgundy Hotel in Paris. France only accounts for 1% of the cognac consumption and my guess is that 90% of this 1% is consumed by tourists! However, this bar is perhaps setting the trend and changing the attitude. Go Paris!

Baudelaire Bar in Burgundy Hotel in Paris

Sources:
andrelv.com
caesarpalace.com
coolrivercafe.com
leburgundy.com
millenniumhotels.com
montecarlo.com
ritzcarlton.com