Read more
This fully revised third edition of Cognac: The story of the world’s greatest brandy provides an authoritative account of how the much-loved spirit is produced and matured, an engaging review of the history and personalities, and a comprehensive directory of cognac producers and their products.This fully revised third edition of
Cognac: The Story of the World’s Greatest Brandy provides an authoritative account of how the much-loved spirit is produced and matured. Nicholas Faith was the world’s leading authority on Cognac. Here he explores the reasons for the spirit’s complex character, and reveals its fascinating history. Cognac is an extraordinary and unparalleled collection of insights into the world’s finest brandy. The first edition of this book, published in 1986, won the Veuve Clicquot award in the US and the Deinhard/Wine Magazine award in Britain. In 2005 the second edition was awarded the André Simon prize, Britain’s premier wines and spirits writing prize. The most recent edition includes a fully updated directory of the top producers and their brandies – including the author’s tasting notes – and two new sections on tasting and mixing: a selection of Cognac cocktails and how to make them, and revelations on the associations made between brandy and food. This completely updated edition of Nicholas Faith’s classic guide is a thorough and engaging resource – the essential companion for every Cognac enthusiast.
List of contents
Acknowledgements Introduction Part I: THE MAKING OF COGNAC 1. Land, vine, wine 2. Distillation: the heart of the matter 3. Brandy + age + oak = cognac 4. The personality of cognac Part II: THE STORY OF COGNAC 5. From salt to wine to Cognac brandy 6. Revolutions on the road to days of glory 7. Disaster, recovery, occupation 8. Thirty golden years 9. Not just a drama, a crisis 10. Fight-back Part III: ALL ABOUT THE COGNACS 11. The enjoyment of cognac 12. The producers and their brandies Glossary Appendix I: THE LAW Cognac and the law Distillation Ageing Allied products Le Bureau National Interprofessionel du Cognac (BNIC) Recent restrictions Appendix II: THE FIGURES Size Production Sales Bibliography Index
About the author
Nicholas Faith was renowned for the books and hundreds of articles he wrote on wines and spirits over a 30-year period. His first book,
The Winemasters, won the André Simon award. He also edited the prestigious magazine
L’Amateur de Bordeaux. Founder of the International Spirits Challenge, the world’s leading alcoholic spirits competition, Nicholas Faith became in September 2010 the first recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award given by the Bureau National Interprofessional de Cognac.
Summary
This fully revised third edition of Cognac: The story of the world’s greatest brandy provides an authoritative account of how the much-loved spirit is produced and matured, an engaging review of the history and personalities, and a comprehensive directory of cognac producers and their products.
