The Ideal Wine Company team has
learned that several prominent Cognac houses have united to tackle the effects
of climate change on French luxury brandy production.
Effects of climate change
Mediterranean countries such as
France boast the perfect climates for grape growing, meaning they’ve developed
world-class wine production industries. But climate change is warming these
regions up and as the
Ideal Wine Company has explained, this could forever alter France’s wine
and Champagne industry.
Our neighbour across the English
Channel is also the home of the world’s Cognac industry. One of the
requirements of this signature brandy is that it must be made with grapes like
Ugni Blanc, which boast high acidity levels. However the rising temperatures
that are a hallmark of climate change could compromise acid levels found in
grapes used to make Cognac.
New solutions
The industry has tried to tackle
this issue by harvesting grapes earlier in the season. In the past 30 years,
the harvest has been moved by 10 days to overcome higher temperatures. But with
climate change becoming a more pressing problem by the day, this is a temporary
solution at best.
Cognac houses Courvoisier,
Hennessy and Remy Martin – you can buy
the Remy Martin XO Champagne Cognac from us by the way, have united to try a
new solution. According
to Imbibe they’ve formed a research committee to test a new hybrid grape
that will hold its acidity even when grown in hotter climates. Called Monbadon,
the first crop of the grape will be harvested in 2018; the resulting eau de vie
will be aged for at least three years before being used for Cognac.
Hybrid grape
Commenting
on the project, Courvoisier master distiller Benoît De Sutter said: “We
planted areas with Monbadon and a mix of Ugni Blanc and Folle Blanche in April
2015, testing different soils… Courvoisier’s vines are planted in the Fins Bois
region, while Hennessy and Rémy Martin’s are in Grande Champagne.”
Continuing, De Sutter explained:
“We’re doing the research to find whether the aromatic profile of Monbadon will
be similar to Ugni Blanc… We already know that it has a higher level of acidity
and lower level of alcohol than Ugni Blanc… It’s a very long experiment, but
it’s for us to be ready in 30 years when global warming will really impact us.”
Try our Cognacs
We’re glad to hear this project
could help Cognac overcome climate change. We love Cognac too much to lose it! If
you want to see why people across the globe lover this unique French product,
why don’t you purchase
one of the Ideal Wine Company’s Cognacs? You’ll soon see why it’s so
important we safeguard the Cognac industry from the effects of climate change!
