Summer in the Charente!
Planning a trip to Cognac this summer? Consider visiting a Cognac House.
Cognac Houses
Visiting at least one Cognac House is a must when visiting the cognac region. By visiting a cognac house at their headquarters you will learn about their origins, history and the methods of producing cognac. Most tours include tastings and visits to the cognac house cellar where bulk quantities of cognac are stored.
Here are the visiting details of some of them.
House of Baron Otard at the Château de Cognac
Baron Otard offers guided tours that include practical information about the cognacs of Otard and a visit to the historic rooms and cellars of the Château de Cognac as well as the Baron Otard Museum. Tours are priced based on the cognac tasting provided at the end of the tour.
The Baron Otard Tours:
The Discovery of the Château Tour includes a guided tour and tasting of Baron Otard’s VS and VSOP cognacs.
The Prestige Visit Tour includes a guided tour and tasting of Baron Otard’s VSOP and XO cognacs.
The Heart of the Château Tour includes a guided tour and tasting of Baron Otard’s VSOP, XO and Extra 1795 cognacs.
The Tribute to Baron Otard Tour includes a private tour and tasting of Baron Otard’s VSOP, XO, Extra 1795 and Fortis & Fidelis cognacs.
Baron Otard conducts tours daily (including Saturday and Sunday) from April to October and from November to March by appointment.
Practical Information:
BARON OTARD
CHÂTEAU DE COGNAC
127 BOULEVARD DENFERT ROCHEREAU
16100 COGNAC FRANCE
E-mail: infovisite@baronotard.com
For more information: http://www.baronotard.com/global/en/home.aspx
House of Courvoisier
The House of Courvoisier is located in Jarnac, France and offers five different tours at the Courvoisier Chateau, including, the Classic Tour, the Spotlight on History Tour, the Historic Blends Tour, the day long From Grape to Glass Tour and the Gourmet Tour.
The first two tours focus on the founding and history of Courvoisier, including a visitation to a small Napoleon museum in the Chateau that houses a few of Napoleon’s articles of clothing.
The Historic Blends (w/cognac food pairing brunch) and From Grape to Glass Tours (w/cognac food pairing lunch) focus on the grape growing, selecting, distillation, ageing and blending processes of crafting cognacs. The Gourmet Tour explores cognac food pairings more extensively during a gourmet cooking session.
All tours allow the opportunity for Courvoisier cognac tastings.
For more information on Courvoisier tours and to book a visit http://courvoisier.com/us/experience/tour
Courvoisier
2 Place du Chateau |
Courvoisier S.A, 16200 Jarnac, France
House of Hennessy
The House of Hennessy is located on the banks of the Charente in Cognac. Visitors to Hennessy are greeted at their newly redesigned visitor’s center. A ferry takes tour goers across the river to the exhibition center where a history and craft of the House of Hennessy is provided. From the exhibition center, visitors walk to the Hennessy aging cellar for a tour of the site where Hennessy eaux-de-vie are matured in French oaken barrels.
After visiting the Hennessy exhibition center and aging cellar, and having gained an appreciation of the history and craft of cognac making, visitors embark the Ferry to take them back to the other side of the Charente for a guided cognac tasting. After the tasting, visitors are invited to the Hennessy boutique where Hennessy products may be purchased.
For more information on Hennessy tours and to book a visit https://www.hennessy.com/us/heritage/visit/
Rue de la Richonne – BP20
16101 Cognac cedex – France
House of Martell
The House of Martell is located in Cognac. Martell offers a one hour and fifteen minute guided tour that originates at Martell’s Visitor Center and is designed to inform the visitor of how Martell crafts its cognacs. A tasting is also available at the end of the tour. The Martell gift shop is stocked with the full range of Martell cognacs.
For more information on Martell tours and to book a visit http://www.martell.com/en-us/visit-us
Avenue Paul Firino Martell
16100 Cognac
visites@martell.com
House of Mekow
The House of Meukow is located in Cognac and offers a 45 minute guided tours at the House AC Meukow founded in 1862. The tour includes “innovative and modern visual effects” that enable you to discover Meukow’s history and Meukow “Paradis”. The tour ends with a tasting of three Meukow cognacs. After the tour, visitors are invited to lunch at “Chai Meukow“, a restaurant that specializes in cognac based recipes, including cognac flambées, sauces and marinades.
Meukow tours run:
From 1st May to 30th September
Monday to Saturday: 10.00am – 5.00pm
and
From 1st October to 30th April
From Monday to Thursday: 10.00am – 12.00am / 1.30pm- 4pm
Friday: 10.00am – 11.00am
For more information on Meukow tours and
https://blog.meukowcognac.com/en/meukow-tour/
to book a visit http://visitemeukow.com/
Cognac Meukow
26 rue Pascal Combeau
BP10010
16101 Cognac Cedex
House of Rémy Martin
The House of Rémy Martin is located in the Grand Champagne growing cru just south of the town of Cognac. Rémy Martin offers a variety of tours for the cognac novice and advanced cognac connoisseur. The tours take place at Remy Martin’s various facilities. The House in Cognac, is where
Rémy Martin’s cellars and tasting room is located. The Estate in Merpins also houses Remy Martin’s cellars and a tasting room. The Remy Martin distillery in Touzac, is located the heart of their Grande Champagne vineyard. The Grollet Estate is described by Rémy Martin as a place where “exclusive and privileged entry is reserved for encounters with LOUIS XIII”, their most prestigious cognac.
The following are among the more popular cognac tours offered by Rémy Martin:
The Snapshot of Rémy Martin tour is a short one hour tour of the House in Cognac that includes instruction on how cognac is crafted and a guided tasting of one cognac.
The Rémy Martin Essential tour held at the Estate in Merpins.
The essential tour lasts three hours and includes a visit of to the Estate in Merpins and its cellars. A guided tasting of three cognacs and gourmet accompaniments are included.
The About the Blending Tour is held at the House in Cognac.
On this two hour tour you learn the blending techniques of the master blenders who make it their business to be familiar with hundreds eaux-de-vie and how well they age together when blended. Visitors get a chance to make their own blend from pre-selected eaux-de-vie. A tasting of Rémy Martin XO cognac is included.
The Louis XIII Experience Tour is a six hour tour that takes place at the invitation only Grollet Estate. On this tour you will be treated to gourmet lunch or dinner in the old distillery. LOUIS XIII cognac will be served with gourmet creations by designer Christophe Pillet. Those taking the Louis XIII Experience Tour will also receive a crystal glass designed by Christophe Pillet.
For more information on Rémy Martin tours and to book a visit http://www.visitesremymartin.com/en/the-tours/
