From California to Cognac

California meets Charente: a studious evening on the theme of Cognac for American students.

An educational trip through French vineyards

A group of American students recently embarked on a journey through the vineyards of France. A 10-day bus tour enabled them to explore the country's most famous wine regions and taste a wide variety of products. From Champagne to Burgundy, via the Pays de la Loire to Cognac and Bordeaux, the twenty or so students from the USA, accompanied by their teacher Mr. Benoit Lecat, arrived in France for an educational trip. The students are currently in their third year of a Wine & Spirits specialization at California's Polytechnic State University.

As future professionals with a passion for wine, they were keen to deepen their knowledge and perfect their techniques. During their trip, the students had the opportunity to visit prestigious châteaux and family estates, where passionate winemakers shared their know-how with them.

The itinerary devised by Professor Lecat took the group of students as far as Berneuil, in the Charente region, where they were lucky enough to meet Mr. André Petit and explore the estate with him, before tasting some of his oldest cognacs.

Seminar and tasting by Cognac-Only!

We met them the following day in Bordeaux, at a cognac-themed seminar hosted by the Cognac-Only team. It's only a short step from theory to practice.

The seminar included a tasting of 8 different bottles. Professor Lecat, himself head of the Wine and Viticulture department of the "Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences" college at California Polytechnic State University, had selected eight XO cognacs for his students, of different ages but all from different terroirs:

In bois ordinaires : The Louis Pearl XO cognac from the Vignerons d’Oléron

In bons bois : The XO Extra cognac by André Petit

In fins bois : A XO cognac by Pierre Vaudon

In Borderies : The Hors d’âge cognac by Grateaud

In Petite Champagne : A XO cognac from Château de Montifaud

In Grande Champagne : The n°25 XO cognac by Ragnaud-Sabourin, the Vieille Réserve XO cognac of Paul Giraud and the Réserve Rare XO cognac of Raymond Ragnaud

The event gave the students the opportunity to compare different cognacs, different crus and different ages, and to perfect their palates while discovering new flavors.

The students - future oenologists, future cellarmen or future winemakers - were all curious and passionate and were able to exchange views with us and ask questions during a studious and enriching evening.

Everyone took pleasure in discovering authentic, quality products that cannot be found on the other side of the Atlantic. It was an opportunity for them to share their experiences and knowledge, to talk about their travels, their professional projects, their favorite wines and spirits, and to learn more about the world of Cognac and its region.

The Cognac-Only team would like to warmly thank Mr. Benoit Lecat for this honored invitation, and the Mercure Château Chartrons hotel for hosting us in one of its conference rooms.