Cognac houses welcome tourists
10 septembre 2003
The cognac houses have noted a drop of 5 to 10 % in the number of visits for July and August compared to 2002, but the result remains satisfactory with increases in purchases both in terms of quantity and quality.

Hennessy CEO optimistic
3 septembre 2003
Roland de Farcy, CEO of Hennessy, considers that the number of jobs in Cognac has stabilized at 600 and is in favor of the vine-growing region coming under the aegis of the INAO (Institut national des appellations d’origine). Hennessy is the leading cognac house with 40 % of the market. Countries experiencing growth (United States, eastern European countries) are development areas for the brand which is preparing new products to attract new consumers.

US rap to the rhythm of cognac
3 septembre 2003
Cognac appears to be the favorite drink of American rappers. One in particular, Puff Daddy, sings "Pass the Courvoisier" and the brands feature in video clips of the American stars. The mediatisation of cognac is having an effect on sales in the US, the world’s largest market (38.8 % of world consumption, 44.5 million bottles sold).

Raynal & Cie not for sale
3 septembre 2003
Patrick Quatraveaux, CEO of Raynal & Cie (ex-Pellisson), specializing in brandy from Cognac, has denied rumors that the company is up for sale. However, the change of shareholder has not been ruled out. The company sells over 500,000 cases each year.

Cookery classes on the theme of pineau
3 septembre 2003
Thierry Verrat, the chef at La Ribaudière in Bourg-Charente, will be giving a cookery class on the theme of pineau at the Ritz Escoffier School in Paris on 18 September.

New president at the BNIC
1er août 2003
Jean-Pierre Lacarrière has replaced Bernard Guionnet as president of the BNIC. He is the CEO of Rémy Martin and CLS Rémy Cointreau.

Martell : redundancy notices
1er août 2003
71 employees at Martell (Cognac) have received their redundancy notices by post as part of the first wave of redundancies. Three other groups are scheduled : in September 2003, December 2004 and June 2005. In total, 114 jobs are due to disappear.

Camus waiting for enlargement
1er août 2003
The cognac houses are particularly attentive to the future enlargement of the European Union from January 2004. For Camus, the fifth largest cognac company, entry into certain eastern European countries represents a real opportunity to develop its market. The export market in Europe represents only 10 % (60 % in Asia). Cyril Camus, marketing manager of the cognac house, believes that a rapid acceleration in the consumption of cognac in the new member countries joining in 2004 is to be expected within 5 to 6 years.

Cognac promotional caravan
1er août 2003
Pineau, cognac and vin de pays are the stars of the itinerant discovery and tasting caravan organized by the farmers and distillers’ association, which began in Châteauneuf and will follow the river Charente until 9 August. The growers hope to promote their products in France to revitalize the domestic market which has fallen by half in the last thirty years. Indeed 95 % of sales are in exports.

Bernard Guionnet takes stock of his achievements
23 juillet 2003
In an interview in Terres de Cognac, Bernard Guionnet, the president of the BNIC (Bureau national de l’interprofessionel du cognac), who is leaving his post at the end of the month, assesses the results of his term of office. M. Guionnet is globally satisfied , underlining the "outgoing attitude" of the bureau in relation to professionals. The forthcoming elections will redraw the structures of the bureau. Jean-Pierre Lacarrière may be the next president of the BNIC.