Cognac, unsurprisingly, comes from the Cognac region of France, a beautiful part of the country just above Bordeaux. Life leads a slow, relaxed pace here, with vineyard-covered hills rolling into the distance and locals enjoying the simpler way of life. While brandy can come from anywhere in the world, for it to be called cognac it must be made in this specific region, using local grapes. But not all cognacs are equal; within the region of Cognac there are six sub-regions, each with their own slightly different soils and climates that have an impact on the final flavour of the spirit. The sub-regions regarded as the ‘heart’ of Cognac are known as Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne (confusingly nothing to do with the eastern region of France where actual Champagne comes from). This is where you’ll find the finest examples of eaux-de-vie produced (known as Cognac Fine Champagne).

So what makes this part of France so good for growing grapes destined to become cognac? It all comes down to the soil. Heavy with chalk, the landscape of the Petite and Grande regions of Cognac is ideally suited for growing vines, as the stones are porous and allow for good drainage. This, combined with the local cool climate, means the white grapes are more acidic than sweet, which makes them ideal for distilling.

Cognac was first made in the sixteenth century, when Dutch traders visiting the region of Cognac were buying up the local wine to take home. The long journey meant the wine would spoil before they reached Holland, so they set about distilling it in the same way they created jenever (the precursor to gin). The local vineyard owners realised the potential in this and started to distil their wines themselves. Soon enough, cognac became recognised across Europe as an incredibly complex and special spirit, and the region became famous for its brandy.

Since then, cognac production has become strictly regulated, gaining AOC protection in 1938 to ensure the drink always lives up to its name. While the quality of the grapes is paramount – after all, if you don’t have good ingredients then no matter what you do the end product will be lacking – the techniques and methods that go into making cognac are just as important. Once the grapes are harvested (usually at the beginning of October), they’re pressed and the juice is fermented to create an acidic, low-alcohol white wine. This is how all brandies begin life before beginning the distillation process (as opposed to something like whisky, which is distilled from a low-alcohol beer made from malted barley).

Distilling wine into cognac requires a lot of skill, intuition and talent – it’s not just a case of pouring the wine into a machine and watching the distillate come out at the other end. Because each grape harvest will result in a slightly different wine, the master distiller needs to adjust their processes accordingly to work the Alembic Charentais (the specific kind of pot still used to make Cognac). Once distilled twice over, the wine becomes eau-de-vie; a clear, punchy spirit which, while not particularly enjoyable to drink, transforms into something else entirely once aged.

Cognac must be aged in three different Limousin oak barrels for at least two years before it can be sold under the cognac name. During this time the eau-de-vie goes from clear to golden brown and slowly evaporates, decreasing in both volume and alcohol. Once the cellar master is happy with the flavour and length of ageing, the spirits are transferred into glass or metal containers where they will continue to mellow and develop in flavour.

Cognac houses always take several different aged eaux-de-vie and blend them together to create a perfect balance of flavour, ensuring consistency from year to year (another skill that takes years to master). It’s then bottled and ready to drink.

Pick up a bottle of cognac and you’ll no doubt notice several different letters after the name – these refer to the age of the liquid within. Blended cognacs often contain different ages of eau-de-vie; the youngest is what dictates which category it goes into. So while a cognac may be categorised as being four years old, it may also contain eaux-de-vie which are much older. The four official grades of cognac are:

There are around 350 different cognac producers today, each producing spirits of varying quality and flavour. If you’re after the best, however, there is only one cognac house that exclusively uses eaux-de-vie from the Grande and Petite Champagne areas of the region. Rémy Martin has nearly 300 years of experience to fall back on and remains family-owned to this day. Rather than focusing on V.S. cognacs – the two-year-old bottles which make up the lion’s share of most cognac producers’ income – its youngest bottle is a V.S.O.P., as the eaux-de-vie the house sources from the Grande and Petite Champagne regions require a longer ageing time to reveal their potential.

Everything Rémy Martin does is about quality. From distilling its wines on the lees (the small flavourful particles created during fermentation) rather than filtering and distilling under close supervision in small batches, to using the very best barrels to age its carefully selected eaux-de-vie in, Rémy Martin focuses purely on Cognac Fine Champagne to create world-class spirits which offer the best examples of cognac’s incredible flavour.

Cognac isn’t the cheapest spirit out there – especially when you skip the V.S. and go straight to V.S.O.P. – but in terms of value and quality, you’re getting so much more for your money when you opt for one of Rémy Martin’s cognacs. You’re not just getting a bottle of something nice to drink; you’re buying something that has been years in the making with centuries of tradition behind it. For an extra couple of quid, you’re getting a true taste of French craftsmanship that’s been 300 years in the making. Rémy Martin is to cognac what cognac is to regular brandy, so if you want to really understand why this spirit is so highly regarded, ask for a small glass at a bar or pick up a bottle at home – we guarantee you won’t regret it.

Rémy Martin cognac is available to buy from Waitrose and Amazon.