What is Cognac
The 6 Crus of Cognac: Growth Area and Region
The Cognac region consists of six vineyard growth areas, called ‘Crus’, or ‘terroir’. The grapes used for Cognac brandy must always come from this French region. The area covers the Charente-Maritime, a large part of the Charente, and some smaller parts of Deux-Sèvres and the famous Dordogne.
The “Origine Controlée Cognac” (AOC) Cognac is an Appellation that totals about 79,000 hectares of vineyards (that’s 790 million square meters). The wine region of Cognac is the second biggest of France, right after the wine region of Bordeaux.
Terroir, or to translate literally, the land, earth or soil, is one that can be found peppered amongst all kinds of information about Cognac. But actually, what does it really mean? And, even more importantly, what bearing does it have when it comes to making a purchasing decision?
The simple answer to that question is, ‘quite a lot’. So let’s attempt to demystify what is quintessentially a French word, and why for the best Cognac experience, it really is beneficial to pay attention to the terroir.
Six regions; six unique products
In the Cognac regions there are six different growth areas: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois, and Bois Ordinaires. These areas are referred to in many ways, such as ‘cru’ or ‘growth region’. But those in the know about Cognac will always use the word, terroir.
This is because terroir actually means far more than simply the land or soil. It’s a unique description that describes both the geographical AND the climatic conditions. This is very important, because both have a real bearing on the grapes that grow there.
The soil in each terroir is unique, and it’s this earth that nourishes the vines and grapes that come to life. Because the soils are so different, so are the grapes that grow there and therefore the wine they produce. And naturally, these differences continue right down the line to the end product that we call, Cognac.
The Petite and Grande Champagne regions in Cognac should not be confused with the famous region of Champagne, which is situated in the north of France. The Champagne wine region produces the iconic sparkling wine so synonymous with special occasions. Read more in our article, Why is Cognac called Champagne? to understand this confusing terminology.
