Bourgoin Cognac Vineyards

You’d be remiss to visit the region without enjoying its worldwide distinction: the liquid gold of French spirits, cognac. And if you have a soft spot for old family-run businesses, visit Bourgoin Cognac, which dates back nearly one hundred years and is run by the founder’s great-grandson, Frédéric Bourgoin.

Frédéric’s product comes from grapes that his great-grandfather planted in 1930, nurtured by the same clear waters that helped Angoulême’s paper industry flourish. His grandfather created the distillery, and his father added a cellar where the barrels of cognac are aged. His family put in the time required to craft the elite elixir, but it wasn’t ready to be bottled and distributed until Frédéric and his wife took over—using a Peugeot passed down through generations.

Not every spirit goes through a meticulous, fourgeneration process. But to the Bourgoin family, making cognac properly requires years of dedication, and not forgetting how long it took your great-grandfather to establish your roots.

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