All Cognac is brandy but not all brandy is Cognac - Cognac can only be made in a specific area surrounding this French town of the same name in the Charente department of the Poitou-Charente region of western France just an easy 30min drive from our family holiday accommodation.
The town itself is a prosperous one with medieval cobbled streets that fan out from a delightful riverside quarter. On the river is where you'll find the largest concentration of chais or cellars where the Cognac is matured. It's not hard to spot these world famous chais as their walls are covered with ''torula coniacensis'' a microscopic fungus which feeds on the vapours of alcohol, known as the ''Angels’s Share''. There are many Cognac houses to visit including Otard, Martell and Hennessy Cognac, which keeps 180,000 barrels in stock. Here (and in all the distilleries) you'll discover the fine art of Cognac making and the secret of blending, as all run regular tours throughout the year and all end with a tasting.
We highly recommend participating in one of these organised tours as even young children are kept interested. Cognac is what our area is all about and you should not miss learning more about it. The vineyards growing grapes for the Cognac industry are grown in 6 zones which all have differing 'terroirs' (soil/rock compositions) There are lots of tours to choose from but the main ones are below plus a couple of 'alternative' Cognac tours !
These differing terroirs give the wines and subsequently the eau de vies, they produce differing properties - some giving body and depth, others giving longevity - essentially Cognac is a blended product and it is down to the expertise of each 'houses' master taster to ensure the specific character of their individual product year in year out . Our own family holiday accommodation is in the Fin Bois zone and we have our very own local Cognac producer 2 mins away from our cottages ! Eric et Marie-Agnes Cartaud are a small family producer. You can
visit them
and taste their wines, Pineau and Cognac too. Producers of Cognac must obtain an Appellation d'origine contrôlée meaning its production methods must meet certain quality requirements. In particular, it must be made from specified grapes such as Ugni blanc, which makes for rather an acidic wine - but is perfect for distillation, it is distilled twice in copper stills and aged for at least two years in French oak barrels from the Limousin or Tronçais forests but you will learn all about the ins and outs on your tour.
The Hennessey tour is quick moving and although lasting 1hr15 it never stops for more than 5 or 10mins in one place, with lots of exciting sounds and smells inside the chai to keep even the littlest holidaymaker entertained - there's even a boat trip across the river. We particularly enjoy the short film with the sounds and sites of the Vendange or grape harvest, as having participated in this experience every year since we moved here, we can vouch for the fact it is a very realistic view of how it is - children laughing and playing, the chatter of the pickers and yes even singing ! Recently Hennessey have revamped their tour making it very modern, they have unfortunately upped the price considerably too - probably to put off families with younger children, but we say if you want to go then go, as long as your kids are reasonably well behaved it's a good informative tour. The layout of the tour means you can always sneak out if toddler has a 'terrible twos' moment and rejoin when he's ready to carry on . You can also bribe them with a trip to the park afterwards - we always did when ours were tiny. However for a cheaper alternative do the Balluet 'alternative Cognac tour' - it's completely free and gives you a true insight into how Cognac is really made (sticky floors, cobwebs and not a laser or ipad insight !)
The Andre Mermet park in Cognac has loads of fun things for children and toddlers including bouncy castles and a splash pool in peak season. All the play equipment is free to use but for access to the bouncy castles and splash pool you will need to purchase a wristband but gives access all day long. You could spend the whole day there or pop to and fro perhaps spending lunch at the nearby La Courtine restaurant, set close to the river Charente. It has a 'pub' like interior, so it's informal dining but has a superb terrace , so a beautiful spot to enjoy a relaxed lunch on a warm summers day. We have eaten there several times and always had a delicious meal.
You can park for free along the river and walk up into the town itself where you'll find lots more restaurants of all flavours and budgets; there's lots of cafés, brasseries and fine dining, so something for everyone - you may prefer just to take a picnic and sit in the jardin public a lovely green space in the center of town, watching the world go by. There are lots of shopping opportunities and a morning market which is on Tuesday to Sunday and also lots of cultural sites to see too; museums, the church Saint Léger, the chateau des Valois and lots of beautiful French medieval architecture such as the Maison de la Lieutenance.
If you'd like to visit Cognac then why not take a look at our family holiday accommodation we have on offer close by. La Grange du Moulin toddler holidays and Les Vallaies holidays
Content By Wendy Blakeman
