Where to stayThe Quai

Where to stayThe Quai des Pontis Hotel in the centre ofCognac, on the banks of the River Charente,has oodles of charm.In the Fins Bois growing area, Cognac No. 22(20 minutes from Cognac) is a charming gitewith a heated pool.Find out more: Tourist officeexplore-cognac.comGet there:There are direct flights to Bordeaux andLa Rochelle from the UKTrains from Paris take from 2h 41mWax seal indicates it's a vintage Cognac7fascinating factsabout Cognac• Chestnut wood bands are fastenedaround the cognac barrels to attractspiders that would otherwise harm theoak barrels.• Barrels must be made from a specifictype of oak from Limousin or Allier’sforests, creating a distinctive goldencolour.• Remy Martin created a miniature bottlefor space travellers (though it’s not yetbeen tested).• Vintage casks of Cognac have waxseals applied by the National Office ofCognac.• Napoleon Bonaparte gave Cognac to histroops to lift their morale.• A whopping 95% of Cognac producedin France is exported – America is thebiggest market, boosted by marketingdeals with rappers.• It takes 10 litres of white wine to makeone litre of Cognac.Bruce showing the way20 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 21