From
the May issue of the Seraph, Newsletter of the Barony of Angels in the Kingdom
of Caid.
Rowanna's Travels Part 8: Cognac
The
chateau currently has a very important role, it is where cognac is made by Otard
cognac, and exported (and drunk) all over the world. I took a joint tour of
the distillery and castle. It was a great tour, though it was all in French
and I had to translate for my American colleagues. We also took a tour of Remy
Martin, it was a larger distillery and we got to see more of the process including
the barrel making. Both tours gave samples at the end, though I am not much
of a cognac drinker. But when in Cognac….
The
small town of
Cognac in the southwest of France has a long and colorful history, and was
famous in its own way long before
Remy Martin started exporting brandy. The chateau of the town was built
at the end of the 9th century to keep the Normans out of the region during the
reign of the last Carolingians. Around 1190 the Plantagenet Kings took control
of the town when Amelie de Cognac married Philip of Falconbridge, the illegitimate
son of Richard the Lion-Heart. The Chateau (and town) were returned to the French
in 1375. It was rebuilt around 1450 by Count Jean de Valois, who had been a
prisoner in England for 33 years (1412-1445). His grandson became François I,
King of France in 1515. The chateau remained in Royal hands until the Royals
lost their heads.
