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Category: News

Visiting France this Summer?

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If you’re visiting south west France this summer then why not take a trip to the Cognac region?  Steeped in history it has lots of beautiful and interesting places to visit and things to do.  Here are our top 5 suggestions:

  • Stroll around the medieval quarter of Cognac.  It is like going back in time as many of the buildings were inhabited by the early cognac merchants.
  • Take a boat trip down the Charente.  The river plays a vital role in the cognac region’s success.
  • Visit a small cognac house.  For a more intimate insight into the cognac production process.
  • Picnic in the vineyards.  Take to the countryside, find a secluded spot and drink in the scenery.
  • Visit the Musee des Arts du Cognac.  Located in the heart of Old Cognac, discover why cognac has become a way of life for some and a much revered drink for others.

And if you find yourself in the heart of Grande Champagne you might come across our French offices, SARL Hermitage based in a pretty little village called Segonzac.

Read more about the Cognac region in our quarterly reports – The Charente Scene.

Emerging Markets may be Key to Cognac Sales Growth

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At last some good news for the cognac industry which has been hit hard in recent years.  Rabobank’s Q3 Spirit Report states that the first couple of months of 2015 have been a ‘little more upbeat’.   “Asian markets finally saw a lift because of the Chinese New Year, starting a turnaround from the tough market conditions over the past two years” said a senior analyst.  The positive momentum gained has also impacted on other Asian markets, especially emerging ones such as Vietnam and Malaysia.  New opportunities for cognac sales are springing up in other regions too.  Some sub-Saharan countries are seeing significant economic growth which is opening up new commercial opportunities and in North America, volume sales rose by 12.2% last year.  This strong performance firms up the US’s position as the number one export market for cognac, taking 59.9 million bottles.  An ongoing rise in demand for brown spirits in the US will create yet more opportunities so the quantity imported is expected to grow significantly this year.   We have certainly noticed an increase in online sales to the US here at Brandyclassics – take a look at what we have on offer.

Online Sales Burgeoning

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Almost 30% of all beer, wine and spirit sales in the UK were bought on line in the first quarter of this year – the highest growth since the end of 2010.  In the wine sector it was reported that global online sales have increased 600% over the last 7 years.  Some countries are already ahead of the curve in terms of customers embracing the buying of wine over the internet. In the UK for example, off-trade sales already account for 11% of the market annually, this is 20% in China and just 4% in the US.  The British public certainly seem keen to keep broadening their online shopping experiences.  Here at Brandyclassics we have seen a 40% increase increase in online sales over the last 12 months.  With the level of expansion in alcohol online sales so far this year being double that seen during the same period in 2012, one has to assume that an upturn in the economy may also be contributing to recent results.  Customers with more money in their pockets must be good news all round!  Take a look at our online shop here.

Another New Vintage Cognac in Stock

Posted / in Brandy Bottle Reviews, News, News from the Brandy Houses and tagged ,

Yet another wonderful addition to the Hermitage range, we have just taken receipt of our new 1965 vintage.  Distilled 50 years ago it is perfect for special birthdays, anniversaries or to just enjoy as a special old vintage.  The Hermitage 1965 comes from Réaux, one of the top growing areas of Petite Champagne and has a rich, intense flavour of bitter chocolate, cardamom and roasted almonds.  Although most of the Hermitage collection come from Grande Champagne, this magical, soft cognac from Petite Champagne joins the select few that we offer from this fine region.  Try it for yourself:

 

The Charente Scene – Summer 2015

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It’s surprising how moods can change with some decent weather. On a recent visit to the Charente region we met with some of our usual colleagues and talked with viniculturists.  All were well pleased with the vine development and weather conditions which have been instrumental in ensuring that so far, this year’s crop could be one of the best. How things have changed, a couple of months ago it was all doom and gloom because of torrential rain and cold weather; fears ran amok that the harvest would be poor! We had a good look at several vineyards and certainly the good weather has been almost too good as many vines have not yet been trimmed and the vine development has been really fast.  Away from the vineyards, most of the growers and small cognac houses are doing their European rounds, visiting their distributors.  They try to get all their business done before July and August, when they disappear on holiday, before returning to start the harvest and distillation preparation in the autumn.

Read more about the cognac industry on our Information Page.

 

Sniffer Dogs To Detect Phylloxera

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The Phylloxera louse decimated vineyards across Europe in the late 1800s by attacking the roots of the vines.  Many wine and cognac producers lost their livelihoods as a result.  Keeping vines Phylloxera free is therefore vital to the survival of the industry so this latest announcement from Melbourne University is extremely exciting.  Scientists are researching the effectiveness of sniffer dogs in detecting the existence of the louse in the initial stages.  Dogs already trained as ‘sniffers’ can easily be taught to detect other scents and it is hoped that this will extend to early stage Phylloxera at depths of up to a metre below soil level.  We have a number of Very Old Cognacs produced in the pre-Phylloxera era when Folle Blanche was the most commonly used vine.

Read more news from the cognac industry here.

 

Pineau is the taste of summer

Posted / in Learning about Brandy, News and tagged

Sitting outside on a warm, balmy evening is the perfect time to try Pineau des Charentes. Made in the cognac producing region of France, newly distilled eau de vie is mixed with grape juice before being aged. The result is a wonderfully fresh, fruity flavour and with an abv of 17 – 18%, it is perfect for every occasion. Serve cold as an aperitif, or a dessert wine, or if you’re looking for a longer drink, it is the ideal base for a summer cocktail – try our Pineau Royale recipe for something truly sumptuous. Most of our wonderful selection of white, rosé and red pineau have age statements and remember, the older the pineau, the more intense the flavour. So celebrate the warmer weather with a taste of summer with Pineau des Charentes – view the whole range here.

 

Original Gifts For Father’s Day

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Whether you’re buying for a father, grandfather, father-in-law or perhaps a first-time father, we have lots of original gifts from which you can choose.

Our vast range of cognacs, armagnacs and calvados all have age statements so you can buy one that matches his year of birth, or his age, or maybe the year that you were born – truly original gifts, creating wonderful memories this Father’s Day.

Exceptionally delicious, our pure, luxury cognacs, armagnacs and calvados are always an absolute joy to receive and a real pleasure to give, helping you convey your appreciation this Father’s Day.

You can view the whole range here and if you need any advice just give us a call on 01225 863988.

Old Brandy Bottle Valuation Service

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We are pleased to announce the introduction of our new Valuation Service. In response to an increasing number of requests for Old Brandy Bottle Valuations we have formalised the service that we offer.

If you would like to know more about the history and value of an old bottle of brandy, just send us the information requested on our Valuation Service page. You will then receive an indication of its worth – over or under £250 – and whether or not a detailed, historical valuation is recommended. If the latter is required you will be able to purchase your Valuation online.

Sometimes rare bottles can be worth substantial sums of money – take a look at our Very Old Cognacs.

If you would like to learn more about cognac and other brandies, subscribe to our newsletter here.

 

The Rise of the Single Estate Cognac – a 2015 Trend?

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In January of this year we commented on Ed Bates’ presentation – ‘Cognac houses should be different, not follow the crowd’.  It is a view we have always held and now it seems that the Cognac Expert Blog concurs.  They predict that one of the trends of 2015 will be the rise of the Single Estate Cognac.  Recently advocated by Hine, with its newly released 2005 Cognac, it is highly likely that this trend of making the terroir the signature point of the cognac will become more widespread.  Single estate cognacs have distinctive characters and exceptional ones are produced by the best distillers who are able to combine specific viticulture, viniculture and complex ageing procedures.  These are the cognacs we have always sought for our Hermitage range; they are hand picked and we know precisely from where each one originates.