Cognac: Alak Mula sa Gawing Kanluran

Mula sa website ng Camus (http://www.camus.fr/main.asp)

Sa Pilipinas sikat ang Fundador bilang brandy subalit may ibat-ibang klase at grado ito. At syempre kaakibat ng grado ay ang presyo. Malimit na iniinom ang brandy matapos ang kainan - panghimagas na inumin kumbaga. Samantalang ang iba pang alak tulad ng whisky ay karaniwang iniinom bago kumain. At syempre ang mga wines (red/white) ay partner ng main dish at depende sa klase ng karne (red/white). Sa mga pinoy na lasengero anumang inumin mapa-whisky man o brandy ay tinutumba kahit sa anumang pagkakataon at okasyon. Sosyal na inumin ang wine. At hindi papahuli ang mga katutubong inumin tulad ng lambanog, basi, etc. sa mga probinsiya. Beer lalo na ang inumin hinding-hindi mawawala sa anumang inumang pinoy.

Tagay na !

Mula sa e-how (http://www.ehow.com/how_2139692_buy-good-brandy.html)

Brandy is simply a wine that has been distilled to the point at which its alcohol level has reached 40 to 60 percent of its total volume. Originally known as brandy wine, brandy has become one of the most beloved of all after-dinner spirits. By choosing the right brandy, you can easily make any social occasion more memorable.

Educate yourself about the finer grades of brandy, which designate the extent to which the liquor has been aged. Brandy grades include A.C. (aged in wooden casks for at least 2 years), VS (very special and aged for at least 3 years), VSOP (very special old pale, which has been aged for at least 5 years), XO (extra old, which has been aged for at least 6 years) and vintage, which has been aged for a longer period of time, as specified on the label.


Mula sa wikipedia:

Cognac (pronounced /ˈkɒnjæk/), named after the town of Cognac in France, is a brandy produced in the region surrounding the town. It must be made from at least 90% Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, or Colombard grapes. The remainder may consist of the grape varieties Folignan, Jurançon blanc, Meslier St-François, Montils, and Sémillon,^[1] however, most cognac is made from Ugni Blanc only.^[2] It must be distilled twice in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels that are sealed airtight in order to be called cognac.

A similar drink, but distilled in a different way and produced in another region is armagnac from Armagnac. There is also calvados based on apples from the Basse-Normandie or Lower Normandy region, and plum brandy from Souillac.

The town of Cognac is one of only three officially demarcated brandy regions in Europe; the others are the French town of Armagnac and the Spanish town of Jerez.

References:

Bureau National Interprofessionel du Cognac. "Appellation of Origin".
Bureau National Interprofessionel du Cognac. "Harvesting and vinification".