Piper-Heidsieck job cuts
8 février 2010
The Piper-Heidsieck champagne house, a subsidiary of Rémy-Cointreau, is to cut a quarter of its staff in Reims. It blames the move on a 42% fall in business in the last year.

Boost for Bisquit
8 février 2010
The Distell group (over 4,000 employees, turnover in excess of 1 billion euros) has installed the Bisquit cognac house, acquired in March 2009 from the Pernod-Ricard group, in the former Raynal premises in Cognac. The cellar master D. Lahouratate is working on blending three eaux-de-vie. New packaging will be proposed this summer.

Cognac find in Antarctic
8 février 2010
Two cases of cognac and three of whisky have been found in the ice in Antarctic : they had been abandoned in 1909 during an expedition by Ernest Shackleton which failed 160 km short of the South Pole.

Courvoisier de luxe for Cupidon
4 février 2010
Courvoisier is launching “L’Essence de Courvoisier” for Valentine’s Day in collaboration with the jeweler Gassan : a hand-crafted Baccarat crystal decanter with a crystal stopper and a Gassan solitaire diamond ring. It is available exclusively at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam.

Which “cognac reserve” ?
2 février 2010
The SVBC winegrowers and distillers’ union has launched the idea of a “cognac reserve” which would work along the lines of an insurance. The SVBC has in mind a system which would set the production quota at 9.5hl of pure alcohol per hectare for five years. Only quantities which correspond to the calculated yield (8.12 this year) would be sent to market. The remainder could be stocked. The winegrowers’ union is calling for the introduction of a minimum yield.

Chill out at Rémy Martin
2 février 2010
Rémy Martin is proposing “Iceboxx”, a mini freezer containing two bottles of VSIOP at -18°C. Two have already been installed in Charente (Fair-Play in Cognac, Cinq-Sens in Angoulême).

Viticulture : avoiding occupational hazards
21 janvier 2010
The department for the prevention of occupational hazards at the Mutualité sociale agricole in Charente has organized a prevention day aimed at winegrowers at the Iréo in Cherves-Richemont (Charente). Five workshops were presented : looking after your back, protecting your eyes, understanding pain in the hands and arms, choosing suitable work clothes and maintenance of vine pruning equipment.

International Cognac Summit
21 janvier 2010
As part of the 2010 International Cognac Summit, mixologists from all over the world took a fresh look at cognac-based cocktails. In addition, the spirits consultant Jürgen Deibel was awarded the first ever “Cognac BNIC Educator” diploma for his work in promoting cocktails.

Cognac broker sues Charente Libre
20 janvier 2010
B. Bouyer, a cognac broker from Bassac, appeared in court yesterday In Angoulême, where he is suing the Charente Libre newspaper for libel. The verdict will be announced on 17 February.

Université des eaux de vie : 22nd year
20 janvier 2010
On 18 January the University of Wines and Spirits in Segonzac welcomed its 22nd year group, notably with 4 Chinese and 2 Russian students.