Gautier cognac
7 juillet 2004
The Gautier cognac house in Aigre produces cognac and bottles brandies and aniseed-flavored products (100,000 bottles of aniseed products each month). 95% of the company’s sales are in exports. It has 120 customers and works with 70 countries.

Cognac inaugurates the cognac museum
30 juin 2004
The cognac museum was inaugurated on Saturday. Total cost : 1.9 million euros (District 22%, County 20%, Region 20%, State 14%, Europe 24%).

Pineau turns red
30 juin 2004
The pineau committee has a deficit of 300,000 euros, the amount lost as a result of the freezing of a subsidy granted by Bercy in 1994.

Declaration of intent by pineau producers
30 juin 2004
In order to produce pineau des Charentes, all producers must file a declaration of intent to produce with the INAO before 1 August.

QNV level
30 juin 2004
Brokers and wine-growers are divided over the level of the forthcoming quantity of wine normally produced (QNV). Brokers are calling for a QNV of 8 in order to increase production, whereas growers are talking of 7.3. Additionally, shipments of cognac have risen by 3.5% in the last twelve months.

Award for Unicognac
23 juin 2004
The Unicognac cognac house, based in Jonzac, appears six times in the list of award-winners at the 2004 Concours des Saveurs. It is run by Michel Villemin

Stoppages at Hennessy
23 juin 2004
In Cognac, over 250 employees at Hennessy stopped work yesterday for a time to protest against a threatened cut in their incentive profit-related bonus.

Bacardi buys Grey Goose
23 juin 2004
The Bacardi spirits company is taking over Grey Goose vodka, which is distilled and bottled at Gensac-la Pallue, for about 2 bilion dollars. The jobs of the 15 employees at the Charente facility are not under threat. Last year Grey goose sold 1.4 million cases.

Agreement on pineau and floc
23 juin 2004
Dominique Bussereau, secretary of State for the Budget, has announced that a solution to the conflict over the level of duty on floc and pineau may be found by mid-July. Producers of these aperitifs are calling for fiscal harmonization and are refusing to pay one quarter of their tax bills.

Cognac at 8,680 euros
23 juin 2004
Two bottles of Napoléon Grande Fine de Champagne have been sold at auction in Rome for 8,680 euros.