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The name is believed to be formed from individual masculine name -Connius, a Gallic name, and the suffix -acum, which would correspond to the "domain of Connius".
The town of Cognac was unknown before the ninth century, when it was fortified. During theHundred Years' War, the town continually changed sides, according to the tides of war. In 1526, it lent its name to theWar of the League of Cognac, the military alliance established by KingFrancis I of France to fight against theHouse of Habsburg. As a benefit of the War League of Cognac, King Francis I granted to the town of Cognac the commercial right to participate in thesalt trade conducted along the river Charente, from which regional Cognac developed into a centre for the production ofwine andbrandy.[3]
In November 1651, Cognac was besieged by rebels led byPrince de Condé during the 1648-1653 civil war, the "Fronde"; and the town was relieved in December by a force underComte d'Harcourt; afterwards, KingLouis XIV granted Cognac additional commercial rights.[4]
Cognac in province of Angoumois (1789)
Cognac was part of the historic French province ofAngoumois. In 1790, following theFrench Revolution that began the year before, the provinces were abolished and Angoumois became part of the newly created department ofCharente.
Cognac is situated on the riverCharente between the towns ofAngoulême andSaintes. The greater part of the town has been built on the river's left bank, with the smaller right bank area known as the Saint Jacques district. The town is situated on one of the pilgrimage routes toSantiago de Compostela and is home to the French Air Force training base 709. Cognac is 400 kilometers (250 mi) southwest of Paris.
TheFestival Polar de Cognac has been held each year since 1996. With a focus oncrime fiction and thrillers, it showcases and awards prizes to novels, comic books, film, theatre, and television.[5][6][7]
The town gives its name to one of the world's best-known types ofbrandy oreau de vie. Drinks must be made in certain areas around the town of Cognac and must be made according to strictly defined regulations to be granted the name Cognac.
Cognac is a unique spirit in that it is double-distilled. This process can be viewed in one of the many "Grande Marque" Cognac houses which all have visitor centres. Most central in the town areHennessy,Martell,Otard,Camus andRemy Martin. About 15 km (9 mi) east of Cognac isJarnac, home toCourvoisier.
There are six vineyard areas around the Cognac area, all of which are within the Appellation Controlee for Cognac, but which are considered to vary in quality from the best growth area of "Grande Champagne" (nothing to do with the Champagne wine region in NE France), through "Petite Champagne" then "Borderies", "Fins Bois", "Bon Bois" and finally "Bois Ordinaire". All Cognac is produced by blending a variety ofeau de vie which can be made from grapes from different locations, and from different vintages. It is the cellar master's skill that ensures that a brand's Cognac is recognizable regardless of when it is produced, since he can blend multipleeaux de vie to achieve the right taste for his house.
Different qualities of Cognac are produced by all brands, and include VS ("Very Special"); VSOP ("Very Superior [or, more commonly, "Special", though the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac specifies "Superior"] Old Pale") and XO ("eXtra Old"). (English terms are still used, since in the early days of Cognac production it was the British who were the main consumers and also became some of the main producers of Cognac, using techniques acquired from the distillation of whisky, etc.) These are controlled by the length of time the Cognac is allowed to mature in oak barrels, a minimum time being required at each grade level. The longer the Cognac matures in the barrel the smoother it will generally become. Once it is bottled no further development takes place. Most houses still have barrels of Cognac dating back to the 19th century sitting in their cellars waiting for fine blending by the Cellar Master.
Cognac has anoceanic climate (Köppen climate classificationCfb). The average annual temperature in Cognac is 13.7 °C (56.7 °F). The average annual rainfall is 771.8 mm (30.39 in) with December as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in July and August, at around 21.3 °C (70.3 °F), and lowest in January, at around 6.5 °C (43.7 °F). The highest temperature ever recorded in Cognac was 41.4 °C (106.5 °F) on 11 August 2025, and the coldest temperature ever recorded was −19.4 °C (−2.9 °F) on 15 February 1956.
Climate data for Cognac, elevation: 30 m (98 ft), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1945–present
The Old Town. The town's medieval quarter "Vieux Cognac" runs from the Tours Saint-Jacques, alongside the river, up to the Saint-Léger church. The area contains many unusual buildings, built between the 15th and 18th centuries, situated on narrow cobbled streets. Many contain sculptures of thesalamander, the symbol ofKing François I, as well as gargoyles and richly decorated façades.
The Château des Valois, an important medieval trading post.
The botanistPierre Boiteau (1911–1980) was born in Cognac
Theglassmaker Claude Boucher, inventor of the glass-blowing machine in around 1880, lived and worked in Cognac
The car manufacturerLouis Delâge was born in Cognac in 1874
Francis I (king of France between 1515 and 1547) was born in the town's castle in 1494. The town's main square is named after him and a statue of the king, on horseback over his enemies, stands at the centre.
Jean Monnet, one of the founding fathers of theEuropean Union, was born in Cognac in 1888 and ran theMonnet Cognac family-controlled enterprise in the 1920s
The French adult film star and modelFrançois Sagat was born in Cognac.
^"Cognac (16)"(PDF).Fiche Climatologique: Statistiques 1991–2020 et records (in French). Meteo France. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on 10 November 2023. Retrieved10 November 2023.
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