It is said that the distillation process was invented in the Netherlands and brought to the Charente in the early 17th century by Dutch traders. The Dutch mastered the art of distilling the Juniper Berry into Jenever (Gin). Since the process was introduced to the Charente, wines from the vineyards of the Cognac region have been distilled to create eaux-de-vie, that once aged in oak barrels, are transformed into brandy. That brandy later became Cognac when created in the Cognac region according to BNIC standards.

While the Dutch still love their gin, Cognac is not a big seller in the Netherlands. According to Charente Libre, Dutch wine merchant, Rowin Niewerth decided to help change that and to reintroduce Cognac, the distilled product his countrymen helped found, to the Netherlands.

On Saturday, March 4, Mr. Niewerth held a cognac show at the Carlton President Hotel in Utrech.

You can view photos of the event here and here.

A video presentation on how cognac is created given at the event can be seen here.