Not generally known for their wines, we have the Dutch to thank for the delicious drink that is Cognac brandy. It was Dutch traders who, in the 17th century, wanted something for their sailors to drink on long voyages. They couldn't keep their drinking water for long, of course, so wine was the solution but the barrels took up too much room on the ships. Someone - possibly an inspired wine producer from Charente - had the bright idea of distilling the wine so it would take up less room and be resistant to all that travelling. It was charmingly called 'eau-de-vie', and was meant to be diluted until, quite by chance, some merry sailor realised it not only improved in its oak barrels, it tasted quite delicious in its distilled state

Hence the name 'brandewijn', burned wine, or brandy, and soon it took on the name of the area it came from: Cognac.

Cognac is a still derived from the distillation of wine, which is processed twice through a still called 'charentais', and most of us will know of three or four big brandy producers. But the most interesting Cognacs are coming out of small independent producers and it is these, of course, that we bring to you.