cognac

Going by the amount of shelf space in even the largest travel bookstores, the region between Nantes and Bordeaux holds little promise. I found only one book, a slim green Guide Michelin, at Stanford's in London's Seven Dials area. And it is true, the central portion of France's Atlantic Coast is short of spectacular attractions. While La Rochelle has a noble history of heroism and upheaval that's reflected in its fortifications, the countryside is rather quiet. There are peaceful villages on reclaimed land, endless beaches, and charming seaside resort that must heave with holidaymakers in summer.

An hour's drive east from La Rochelle is a small town that has given its name to one of the greatest brandies. Cognac and its surroundings are home to several hundred cognac-makers, and many of the businesses cater to tourists much like vineyards do, offering tours of their premises and tasting sessions. Many years ago, I toured some vineyards in Napa Valley. While the big operations like Beringer offered professionally polished tours, smaller, family-owned vineyards exuded a personal warmth that I found much more welcoming. Sometimes the proprietor would come out and proudly uncork his favorite bottle. My idea for this current trip was to recreate that experience. I had once encountered a smaller cognac-maker, Jean Balluet in the village of Neuvicq-le-Château, and decided to give it a shot, leaving out the big names that are resident in Cognac itself.

You can tell that this is the beginning of the story that was promised on my visit to Jean Balluet's. I thought I would write just another post, one that keeps the dignity of logic and refers to some of the things written earlier. But then it didn't happen that way. What I wrote is slightly less personal that a blog post and slightly longer. I posted it to my website, free to read for anyone with too much time. Enjoy!