Coteaux de Montagan looking better
8 mars 2010
The Coteaux de Montagan wine cooperative, based in Gondeville near Jarnac (Charente), whose main activity is in the fins bois area to supply the Courvoisier, Hennessy, Martell & Co and Tiffon cognac houses, anticipates a 2009 harvest of 91,000 hl. This upturn in activity, following the blighted harvest in 2008 (64,228 hl), will lead to a reduction in wine production costs (calculated per hectare).

Open house at BNIC on 31 March
8 mars 2010
The Bnic professional trade organization is organizing an open house in Cognac on 31 March for its 5,000 members in order to present its activities.

Hériard-Dubreuil and Vivendi
8 mars 2010
Dominique Hériard-Dubreuil, the chairman of the board of Rémy Cointreau who hails from Cognac, is due to become an independent member of the Vivendi supervisory Board.

Black Pearl in Vancouver
5 mars 2010
A bottle of Black Pearl cognac from Rémy Martin was on sale in Vancouver airport (34,000 dollars).

No cognac at agricultural show
24 février 2010
The BNIC considers that its communication is lost in the gigantic nature and diversity of the Paris agricultural show and therefore will not be present at the event.

Cognac protected in China
24 février 2010
The signing and the officialization reception to mark the protection of cognac as a protected geographical indication in China took place yesterday in Beijing. Cognac is the first foreign product to receive this protection. In 2009, 12 million bottles of cognac were shipped to China (15 million when Hong Kong is included, with another 18 to 20 million for Singapore which are often sold on to China).

Award for “Cognac et cuisine d’aujourd’hui”
24 février 2010
The book “Cognac et cuisine d’aujourd’hui” by Françoise Barbin-Lécrevisse and Olivier Reyest has been boosted by winning the silver medal at the international competition “Gourmand World Cookbooks Award”. The first edition of 3000 copies has sold out and is being reprinted by Le Croît Vif.

Revival at château des Plassons
17 février 2010
J. and D. Pannaud have taken over the château des Plassons vineyards at Bors-de-Montmoreau. They have relaunched the wine-growing activity. A major part of the harvest from the 30 hectares is sold under contract to a cognac house. The rest is used for various markets, including exports (United States, Belgium...) A store is to open in the spring.

SGV branch meetings
16 février 2010
Following the branch meetings of the SGV winegrowers’ union, 300 winegrowers from Charente and Charente-Maritime have made known their preoccupations. Delayed payment of restructuring and investment are at the top of the list. They concern the replacement of vines 35 years old and more. The annual rate is only 1.5% whereas it should be 3%. Damage caused by hailstones is still raising questions.

Hennessy celebrates the year of the tiger
15 février 2010
To mark the Chinese new year, Hennessy is offering an exceptional cognac in a leather case (18,000 euros) and a Hennessy Paradis Horus (1,250 euros).