EDUCATING FUTURE MANAGERS OF SPIRIT BUSINESSES: CIDS IN COGNAC REGION

The Centre international des spiritueux (CIDS) (International Centre for Spirits) in Segonzac, close to the city of Cognac in the heart of the Cognac region is a phenomenon!

Centre International des Spiritueux (Cognac)

Why?

Because its purpose is to prepare future managers of wine & spirits related businesses:

. Wine business: vineyards production & general management...

. Spirit business: distillery and general management, else...

. Others: packaging, technology, coppering, distillation, logistics, lab & analyses, legals, ...

Now that the region is named "The Spirit Valley" in association to the coined "Silicone Valley" in California, one would expect like in California to have a university pole (i.e., Stanford). Lire le concept de Spirit Valley.

Until recently there was not much but now with the CIDS it is all happening.

The region has a huge potential and it has a great know-how which once structured could fuel further growth in the area. Cognac region represents 25% of the spirits production in France and 15% of the employment.

The degree is a license (Bac +3 years) and a Master (Bac +5 years), jointly worked through the University of Poitiers, the Centre Universitaire de la Charente and CIDS.

Specializing in this field is particularly salient mostly when one can see that the degree offers specific subjects such as 'how to promote your sales & brand' or 'wine & spirits start-up', "how to start your micro-distillery' and that these programs are open to current managers for continuous learning and e-education is being put together, see direct link here.

International Centre for Spirits
37, rue Gaston Briand - BP 30037
16130 SEGONZAC - France
Tel : 00 33 (0)5.45.83.63.30
Fax : 00 33 (0)5.45.83.31.72
contact@centre-spirits.org

President : Pierre SZERSNOVICZ
Director : Quitterie FOURQUET
Documentation : Stéphanie Davis
Surveillance Manager : Antoine BOCHEUX
Secretary : Christelle AUGIER

Sources: University of Poitiers, IAE Poitiers,  Centre Universitaire de la Charente, CIDS, Charente Libre

JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT IS CELEBRATING WITH A COGNAC TASTING AT THE PEKING TAVERN IN LOS ANGELES

Non-Profit Organization Junior Achievement of Southern California is organizing a private party and to celebrate the end of spring JA is putting together a cognac tasting at the award winning restaurant the Peking Tavern in Downtown Los Angeles this coming Tuesday 7th June from 5pm to 8pm.

The Peking Tavern, winner of 2014 new restaurant in Downtown.

In downtown Los Angeles. Authentic Northern Chinese street food and home cooking paired with your favorite spirits. Eclectic vibe inspired by old “hutongs” of Beijing as well as Hollywood style Chinatown of yesteryear.

PEKING TAVER

806 South Spring Street Los Angeles CA 90014
Part of the Old Banking District as well as the Fashion District
Parking available across the street.

Guests will be tasting Comandon Cognac VS.

Comandon Cognac VS, Single Batch for 2016

Junior Achievement is a non profit organization that brings the real world to students through hands-on curriculum delivered by a trained classroom volunteer. JA Seeks to educate and inspire young people to value free enterprise, business and economics to improve the quality of their lives.

COGNAC HAS ITS OWN NATIONAL DAY IN THE USA

You may choose to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with Tequila, St-Patrick's Day with some Irish Whiskey,  ... so when do you get to celebrate with cognac. Try tomorrow for 'Cognac National Day'.

Yes Saturday 4th of June 2016 is Cognac National Day in the USA!

Cognac Bottle with VS, VSOP, and XO ages and colors simulation

Do not check the official government website for Cognac (http://www.cognac.fr) they do not know about it!

My 3 suggestions:

. Open a bottle of sparkling wine, better if Champagne, drop 1 or 2 or 3 droplets of cognac VSOP depending on your mood and it will taste so much better than before.

. Ginger soda, ice cubes and VS cognac.

. Sparkling water, lime, ice cube and VS cognac.

Cognac deserves its American Holiday says Thrillist.

COGNAC SUFFERED HAILSTORMS ON FRIDAY 27th May 2016

Severe hailstorms, caused serious damage in the vineyards of the cognac regions last weekend mostly on Friday May 27th. These storms have mostly damaged the leaves at this stage since they are no fruits for the moment. This increases the prospects of prices sensitivity if this is confirmed lowering production of grapes. More details and forecasts will be evaluated at the time of the 'floraison' in 2 or 3 weeks, that is the time when the wines are creating all the little strings sort of flowers to become the grapes.   VIDEO FROM BFM [French] http://bcove.me/h1vse75q

ARRIVEDERCI TO COGNAC MARNIER-LAPOSTOLLE GOING TO GRUPPO CAMPARI

I am a little sad to see Marnier-Lapostolle go to Campari Group ($761M). It reminds me when Volkswagen bought Bentley in the 1990s. The name Marnier-Lapostolle is deep rooted in the Cognac region, and it is far away from Milano.

Not easy to keep a family business going for more than 150 years inside a family.

Some key figures:

1827: Establishment of the Marnier-Lapostolle distillery in Neauphle-le-château, Yvelines, Paris region.
1880: Creation of Grand-Marnier liquor.

1919: Purchase of Vineyard with Chateau de Sancerre.

1921: Purchase of castle in village of Bourg-Charente, Cognac region.

Marnier Lapostolle Castle in Bourg-Charente, Cognac

1994: Starts wine business in Chile.

2013: 100% of Grand Marnier moved in Bourg-Charente.

Marnier-Lapostolle was in recent years the 5th largest buyers of cognac from the region since 60% of the Grand Marnier recipe composed of cognac, with about 12 million bottles sold per year.

Grand Marnier is exported in about 150 countries and the USA accounts for 60%, while Europe = 30%, Asia 10%, and France 8%.

Lapostolle Wines in Chile is composed of 370 hectares, with 3 vineyards and an annual production of 200,000 cases.

Once a year the Marnier-Lapostolle Castle in Bourg-Charente was opened to the public and mostly full of locals which really enjoyed visiting it. I wonder if this tradition will be kept!

History is made!

Sources: Lapostolle.com, Forbes.com, Charente Libre.fr, House of Marnier

REMY MARTIN NEW CRAFT COGNAC CALLED CARTE BLANCHE

'Carte Blanche' in French means 'blank card', words used in the sense of a 'blank check' for instance.

Rémy Martin has just granted 'Carte Blanche' to his new master cellar Baptiste Loiseau to select a few casks to make a limited edition cognac named 'Carte Blanche No.1'.

Baptiste Loiseau is the cellar master of the House of Rémy Martin, who was appointed in 2014 at the age of just 34. During the years he spent perfecting his craft alongside his predecessor Pierrette Trichet, he tasted every eau-de-vie that had been set aside by previous cellar masters.

Remy Martin, Loiseau, Limited Edition, Carte Blanche No.1

Rémy Martin limited edition Carte Blanche No1 is presented in the traditional cognac bottle with a big punt at the bottom of the bottle, and in a simple yet elegant case which shows 

Rémy Martin is looking to position this cognac into the premium craft spirits.

Loiseau chose to particular casks from the Gensac-la-Pallue cellar which reveal harmonious notes of lilac and spicy notes of nutmeg. The remarkable long finish, with intense aromas of leather, incense and black tea, has given life to this powerful and refined cognac. These eaux-de-vie were bottled at 41.10% Alc. Vol. to preserve their original attributes and to create a cognac of exceptional aromatic strength and finesse.

Rémy Martin only used grapes from both the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne, which when blended together are called the Fine Champagne.  Fine Champagne Cognac, ir regulated by French law, which means the cognac is made exclusively from eaux-de-vie of the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne, is the only blend of two crus protected by the AOC, the Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée.

Just 7,000 numbered bottles of Carte Blanche No.1 have been created with a price of US$400 per bottle. From June 1, Carte Blanche No1 will be rolled out in DFS stores at Hong Kong International Airport, Los Angeles International Airport, New York John F. Kennedy International Airport and San Francisco International Airport, where it will remain exclusive to DFS until the end of October when distribution will be extended to selected domestic markets.

Sources: DFS, The Drinks Report

RESULTS FOR THE 2016 SAN FRANCISCO WORLD SPIRITS COMPETITION

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition, one of the largest and most prestigious international spirit competition, has announced the 2016 medal and award recipients from its 16th annual competition, held March 17th through 20th at Hotel Nikko in San Francisco. Out of this year's record-breaking 1,899 entries, only 201 were awarded Double Gold medals by 39 judges.

2016 BEST COGNAC VS
Winning Double Gold Medal
Cognac Philbert Vintage Grande Champagne Rare Cask Finish Sherry Cognac

Cognac Philbert 2012 Grande Champagne finished in Oloroso Sherry Cask

2016 BEST COGNAC VSOP
Winning Double Gold Medal
A. De Fussigny Petite Champagne Cognac VSOP

Cognac A. de Fussigny VSOP

2016 BEST COGNAC Toute Categorie
et BEST COGNAC XO
Winning Double Gold Medal
Gautier Pinar del Rio Cognac XO

Cognac Gautier Pinar del Rio

2016 BEST COGNAC EXTRA
Winning Double Gold Medal
Bache-Gabrielsen Sérénité Extra Cognac

Cognac Gabrielsen Serenite Extra

There were many other prestigious brands of cognac represented this year including:

. Martell, winning a Silver Medal for its XO cognac.
. Comandon, winning a Gold Medal for its XO cognac.
. Louis Royer, winning a Silver Medal for its XO cognac.
. Merlet, winning a Silver Medal for its XO cognac.

Founded in 2000, the San Francisco World Spirits Competitionhas become an important event jumped from 292 entries in 2000 from close to 2000 entries in 2016.

Products are evaluated in a blind, consensual procedure ensuring the SFWSC maintains its reputation for the highest level of integrity.

Source: SFWS