by Paige Donner
Cognac for the most important ♥ holiday of the year!? Yes! And not just for your fella. But for your Lady (love) as well.
Scenes from Cognac
all photos by and c.Paige Donner 2012
Click Here for Slideshow Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Paul Giraud (in that order)
Women love things that are smooth, warm, that glide just the right way and yet still have that appropriate touch of femininity. You might think that I'm describing lovely lingerie. But, No! I'm talking about cognac. That's right! Cognac can be YOUR dreamy passport to love and pleasure this Valentine's Day!
On a recent trip to Cognac, I was tasked with spitting out X.O. and Paradis...From all the best makers... Some that you've no doubt heard of and some that you'll only hear about and get to taste if you venture into the quaint and cordial hinterland of France that is Cognac.
Click Here for Slideshow Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Paul Giraud
I'm not a spirits drinker and anything tougher than champagne usually makes me gag. So I was a hard sell in terms of being persuaded to see the merits of enjoying a sip of cognac or two. For me the idea of the cognac cocktail - a dose of cognac mixed with champagne and some Chambord or cognac with green tea and a few shakes of a couple other things - were the ways I was ready to take my medicine.
Click Here for Slideshow Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Paul Giraud (in that order)
Cognac For ♥ Valentine’s Day
One of the qualities that got me to hang in there, though, is that cognac is the only spirit, or eau de vie, that is distilled from grapes. Gazing out at the wintry landscape of hibernating vines somehow reassured me that this spirit was different. I was tasting a form of wine, after all. Also, unsurprisingly, cognac was originally a happy accident. A couple of barrels of wine gone bad on their shipment to England a few centuries ago...a dose of French innovation and farmer ingenuity and Voila', cognac!
Click Here for Slideshow Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Paul Giraud
After tasting (and spitting!) my way through approximately 75 blends and brands of cognac, I discovered that there were a handful that I could sip and savor. And it wasn't only the XO's that pleased my palate. There were a couple of VSOP's that made the cut. Though, I admit, once you've tasted Paradis, you'll swear you've heard the angels sing!
Cognac - It's not named X.O. for nothin'!
♥Chérie Du Vin
*For customized Cognac Travel Itineraries contact: Local Food And Wine
♥Chérie Du Vin
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