Between Champagne and Cognac [by Kelechi Deca]

After the last post I made on Cognac over the weekend, someone came into my inbox to ask me the difference between Champagne and Cognac.

Actually, Champagne is not a cognac, even though the two are both French signature premium drinks and share lots of similarities, such that their combination has come out to be among the most sought-after cocktails. But I think that is where the similarities end.

Between Champagne and Cognac

While Champagne is a sparkling wine made in the Champagne region of France mostly from grapes like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier, Cognac, on the other hand, is a brandy made in the Cognac region of France from white grapes like Folle Blanche, Ugni Blanc, and Colombard.

Most champagne is white in colour, and this is created during the manufacturing process, while Cognac must be produced according to the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BINC) standards.

Champagne has one of the strongest and most far-reaching trade influences in the world. That is why many legal structures reserve the word Champagne exclusively for sparkling wines from the Champagne region of France made in accordance with Comité Interprofessionnel du Vin de Champagne regulations.

Interestingly, the word “champagne” comes from the Latin word campania, which means “countryside” or “lowland,” but the Cognac region of France is divided into different growth areas called “terroirs,” and some Cognacs are named after these areas, such as “Fine Champagne,” which is a blend of eau-de-vie from the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne crus and must be made with at least 50% of its grapes from Grande Champagne.

In similarity with Cognac, the region in which the grapes are grown has a strong bearing on the flavours and bouquet of the final drink produced. The areas in which cognac and champagne are produced are a legal requirement.

Only grapes grown in the AOC-defined Cognac area have the privilege of being called Cognac. In the same way, only grapes from the five delimited ‘champagne’ regions are allowed to be sold as champagne.

Cognac has five defined areas: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Fins Bois, Borderies, and Bons Bois. Champagne also has five regions: the Aube, Montagne de Reims, Vallee de la Marne, Cote des Blancs, and Cote de Sezanne.

So in the real sense, it is the different soil textures that determine the type of grapes and, by extension, the type of products. Everything is linked.

The producers of these two products can go to any length to protect both the name and integrity of their products from fakery; thus, they have been known to spend millions of euros in legal battles to maintain the integrity of their names.

Because of how famous these products have become, they have branched out into another sector of the economy with huge benefits: tourism.

Millions of visitors throng both the cognac region and the champagne region annually just to experience how the famous drinks are made, packaged, and sent out to the world.

Also, events and festivals have been created around these drinks, which attract thousands of people from around the world annually to come and have a taste of the products and enjoy the beauty of the Charente countryside and the cities of Reims and Epernay.

If it was not produced in the Champagne region of France, it CANNOT be Champagne, even though there are other sparkling wines from other parts of the world that can compete in taste with Champagne, especially the chardonnays from California, but they are not Champagne. Diageo Bar Academy.

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