Cognac vineyards

La Flow Vélo® crosses the region in which cognac, the spirit, is exclusively made. This area covers almost one million hectares. Its undulating slopes are covered with countless rows of vines that grow heavy with grapes in summer. From the harvest to the way the spirit is then produced, discover, on your cycling trip, the centuries-old know-how that goes into making cognac brandy.

From cognac to pineau des Charentes

The Charentais vineyards are renowned for playing an essential part in creating an exceptional brandy, cognac, famed worldwide. While most of the grapes produced here go into producing the spirit, further drinks that come from them include vins de pays (classic local wines) and the fortified wine, pineau des Charentes.

From the 17th century, the wines of Poitou, La Rochelle and the Angoumois area were transformed into brandy and aged in barrels. But cognac gained in reputation once the technique of double distillation, traditionally used to make whisky, was introduced here. This intensification of the spirit via two distillations in a copper still ensured smooth, suave flavours, brought out even further for being aged in oak barrels.

Cognac, the spirit, is very much appreciated abroad, to the point that 98% of production is now exported. Much prized by the Chinese and Japanese, it symbolizes French luxury, reflected in the major brands of the main cognac trading houses, such as Hennessy and Martell.

Locals in the Charentes are more likely to drink pineau des Charentes, a wine fortified with cognac and sweet in flavour. It’s served both as an aperitif and with puddings. It goes well with local charentais melon or local caillebotte curds.

Encounter craftspeople involved in producing cognac 

Make the most of a stop in either Jarnac, Cognac or Saintes to meet the people who live to the rhythm of the wine-making, distilling and ageing required to make cognac. Winemakers, distillers, barrel-makers and cellar masters all share a passion for their profession.

For fans of the Charentais’s famed digestif, the association Les Étapes du Cognac can provide a guide to good addresses to visit to encounter craftspeople involved in the cognac industry. 

Visiting a winery or a cognac trading company, finding a cellar for a tasting, seeking out a cultural wine outing… the opportunities to discover the cognac and Charentais vineyards will become clear as you ride along La Flow Vélo cycle route.

The area between Saintes and Cognac has been awarded the national accreditation, Vignobles & Découverte, which guarantees the quality of wine tourism here, highlighting distilleries, but also related restaurants, accommodation, sites and activities set up to offer visitors a professional welcome.

The four seasons in the vineyards 

From spring onwards, the major cognac trading companies open their doors to visitors. Make the most of a guided tour to learn much more about the secrets that go into making the precious liqueur, as well as about its history and exceptional world, plus the individuality of each property’s brandy.

In summer, events aplenty are put on. Look out for tastings, workshops and concerts.

Autumn is when the ugni blanc grapes are harvested; in October, the harvest is in full swing across the vineyards. It’s the time at which to observe one of the major points in the making of cognacs, pineaux and vins de pays to come. On the producer properties, you can sometimes witness the grapes being pressed.

Winter is the time for distilling. The distillers (known in the region as bouilleurs de cru) open their doors for the Distilleries en Fête, a festival including theatrical evenings, concerts and meals in cognac-ageing cellars.