Cognac, France


Cognac is a commune in the Charente department, southwestern France. Administratively, the commune of Cognac is a subprefecture of the Charente department.
WWW Official Site

Name

The name is believed to be formed from individual masculine name -Connius, a Gallic name, and the suffix -acum, which would correspond to the "domain of Connius".

History

The town of Cognac was unknown before the ninth century, when it was fortified. During the Hundred Years' War, the town continually changed sides, according to the tides of war. In 1526, it lent its name to the War of the League of Cognac, the military alliance established by King Francis I of France to fight against the House of Habsburg. As a benefit of the War League of Cognac, King Francis I granted to the town of Cognac the commercial right to participate in the salt trade conducted along the river Charente, from which regional Cognac developed into a centre for the production of wine and brandy.
In November 1651, Cognac was besieged by rebels led by Prince de Condé during the 1648-1653 civil war, the "Fronde"; and the town was relieved in December by a force under Comte d'Harcourt; afterwards, King Louis XIV granted Cognac additional commercial rights.
Cognac was part of the historic French province of Angoumois. In 1790, following the French Revolution that began the year before, the provinces were abolished and Angoumois became part of the newly created department of Charente.

Geography

Cognac is situated on the river Charente between the towns of Angoulême and Saintes. The greater part of the town has been built on the river's left bank, with the smaller right bank area known as the Saint Jacques district. The town is situated on one of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela and is home to the French Air Force training base 709. Cognac is southwest of Paris.

Culture

The Festival Polar de Cognac has been held each year since 1996. With a focus on crime fiction and thrillers, it showcases and awards prizes to novels, comic books, film, theatre, and television.

Cognac brandy

The town gives its name to one of the world's best-known types of brandy or eau de vie. Drinks must be made in certain areas around the town of Cognac and must be made according to strictly defined regulations to be granted the name Cognac.
Cognac is a unique spirit in that it is double-distilled. This process can be viewed in one of the many "Grande Marque" Cognac houses which all have visitor centres. Most central in the town are Hennessy, Martell, Otard, Camus and Remy Martin. About east of Cognac is Jarnac, home to Courvoisier.
There are six vineyard areas around the Cognac area, all of which are within the Appellation Controlee for Cognac, but which are considered to vary in quality from the best growth area of "Grande Champagne", through "Petite Champagne" then "Borderies", "Fins Bois", "Bon Bois" and finally "Bois Ordinaire". All Cognac is produced by blending a variety of eau de vie which can be made from grapes from different locations, and from different vintages. It is the cellar master's skill that ensures that a brand's Cognac is recognizable regardless of when it is produced, since he can blend multiple eaux de vie to achieve the right taste for his house.
Different qualities of Cognac are produced by all brands, and include VS ; VSOP and XO. These are controlled by the length of time the Cognac is allowed to mature in oak barrels, a minimum time being required at each grade level. The longer the Cognac matures in the barrel the smoother it will generally become. Once it is bottled no further development takes place. Most houses still have barrels of Cognac dating back to the 19th century sitting in their cellars waiting for fine blending by the Cellar Master.

Climate

Cognac has an oceanic climate. The average annual temperature in Cognac is. The average annual rainfall is with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July and August, at around, and lowest in January, at around. The highest temperature ever recorded in Cognac was on 11 August 2025, and the coldest temperature ever recorded was on 15 February 1956.

Population

The inhabitants of the town are known in French as Cognaçais.

Landmarks

  • The Old Town. The town's medieval quarter "Vieux Cognac" runs from the Tours Saint-Jacques, alongside the river, up to the Saint-Léger church. The area contains many unusual buildings, built between the 15th and 18th centuries, situated on narrow cobbled streets. Many contain sculptures of the salamander, the symbol of King François I, as well as gargoyles and richly decorated façades.
  • The Château des Valois, an important medieval trading post.
  • The Saint-Léger church. Church Exterior
  • The musée d'Art et d'Histoire
  • The musée des arts du Cognac
  • The Saint-Gobain glassworks and barrelworks
  • Cognac Public Garden

Notable people

Sport

Twin towns—sister cities

Cognac is twinned with: