You may have spotted that some cognacs carry the designation of “Grande Champagne” (most notably the Delamain range), and others the name “Fine Champagne”. What does this indicate?
This all refers to where the cognac was grown and produced – the very best cognacs coming completely from the Grande Champagne region, marked in red on the map above. This means that the grapes were grown in Grande Champagne, distilled in Grande Champagne, and matured in Grande Champagne.
For a cognac to be designated as “Fine Champagne”, the blend must consist of grapes from the Petite Champagne (marked in orange on the map) and Grand Champagne regions, with at least 50% consisting of Grande Champagne.
What does all of this have to do with the bubbly of the same name? Nothing at all, really. The name “Champagne” is a little confusing, but refers to the terroir of the area. The soils are the same chalky soil one finds in Champagne (the one known for sparkling wine rather than cognac), and therefore share the same name.
