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Cognac comes from France. The name he received thanks to the town of Cognac (Cognac) - he is in the south-west of France. A strong drink appears as a result of double distillation of ordinary white wine. Then the drink needs to be kept in oak barrels.

Technology of cognac production - a real art. The process of making cognac is divided into several stages:- picking grapes for wine;- pressing of the berries obtained;- distillation;- aging in barrels;- mixing.

Of what exactly make a delicious strong cognac,and most importantly - quality? The main component, as a rule, for the production of cognac is white grapes ("Uni Blanc"). This variety has a high acidity, ripening grapes very slowly. Among other things, this grapes is also resistant to diseases, hence, high yield. Not for nothing that he was chosen to create cognac.

With the exception of Uni Blanc, the followingsorts of grapes: Fol Blanche and Colombard. Each variety brings a special flavor to the bouquet of cognac. For example, Uni Blanc is able to give it floral flavors, in addition, the cognac immediately acquires a barely noticeable note of spice. Fol Blanche significantly improves the quality of cognac with aging, giving the fragrance of violets and lime, Colombard also adds strength and sharpness.

As a rule, the harvest of grapes is beginning to be harvested inOctober. At the end of the harvest, the berries are immediately required to be wrung out. Presses for pressing are used special - they do not crush grape bones. Therefore, crushed bones can not get into the grape juice and thereby spoil the taste of a future noble drink.

After this procedure, the juice is sent tofermentation. In the process of fermentation it is forbidden to add sugar. The process lasts about three weeks, after which wines containing 9% alcohol and more are sent for distillation.

This process is very complex, it occurs in"Charente distillation cube." Result: you get cognac spirit. The finished liquid is aged in oak barrels for at least two years, then it can begin to bear the loud name "cognac". It should be noted that the maximum period of fluid retention is unlimited. But experts who have been engaged in cognac production for a long time now insist that cognac aging for more than 70 years does not affect the quality of the drink. So more than 70 years, there is no sense to withstand cognac.

For aging, it is no accident that oak barrels are chosen. Oak is an incredibly strong material, having a fine-grained structure, possessing high extractive qualities. Caskets are poured into the barrels, then they are placed in the cellars for aging the drink. Only then cognac only gets on our tables in the usual way for us, namely - in bottles.

By the way, you need to drink cognac from brandy glasses. First, for twenty minutes a glass of drink with a warm hand, in order to fully enjoy the aroma of the drink. Snack cognac with chocolate. Some gourmets claim that brandy is beautiful solely in combination with a cigar, chocolate and coffee. And in post-Soviet society for a long time believe that cognac is better to bite fresh lemon. But after all, citrus has a specific sharp taste - it interrupts an exquisite bouquet of cognac, so it's better to not drink this lemonade.

Tip 2: How to make ice cream with cognac or wine

Everyone knows a cold dessert called ice cream. It is usually prepared from cream, milk, butter, sugar, fruits, berries with the addition of any aromatic substances. Very interesting ice cream will turn out with the addition of white wine or cognac, we will consider both recipes.

Ice cream recipe with white wineIngredients:- 200 g of cream ice cream - 100 g of fresh strawberries - 70 ml of sweet white wine - 70 g of grapes without pits. Take the strawberries, remove the stems, wash, chop the blender or scroll in the meat grinder, if it is. Cool the wine, rinse grapes, remove the berries from the grapes. Mix the strawberry puree with cream ice cream, spread on glass vases, garnish with grapes, pour wine over it. Serve on the table at once, until the ice cream is melted.Ice cream recipe with cognacIngredients:- 300 g of filling "Morozko" - 5 eggs; - 2 tbsp. tablespoons whole milk - 2 tbsp. spoons of cognac alcohol or cognac - 1 tbsp. a spoonful of sugar - a pinch of nutmeg. Separate the yolks from the proteins. Whisk the yolks with a mixer in a small saucepan, add milk, sugar, a pinch of nuts. Put the mass on a quiet fire, cook until thick, not forgetting to stir. Remove the resulting cream in the fridge, then mix it with cognac. Lay ice cream on kremankam, top with cognac garnish, immediately send the finished dessert to the table.