Grande Champagne is a French district, called a ''cru'', known for its

cognac Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the Communes of France, commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the Departments of France, departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cog ...

. It produces the finest cognacs in a zone of 34703 hectares, of which 17% is dedicated to production of cognac, which can be marked as Grande Champagne or Grande Fine Champagne. At its heart is the town of Segonzac, in the Département of

Charente Charente (; Saintongese: ''Chérente''; oc, Charanta ) is a department in the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, south western France. It is named after the river Charente, the most important and longest river in the department, an ...

. Grande Champagne is situated entirely in this département.

Cognac regions

is a French word for growth region. There are six different sub-regions (Cru) within Cognac. Each is graded by the French government according to the quality of the cognac produced there. The six Cru are from best to least, (1) Grande Champagne, (2)

Petite Champagne Petite Champagne is a geographic zone of Cognac production of approximately 66,000 hectares, of which about 15,000 are dedicated to wines destined for cognac, which can be marked as Petite Champagne or Petite Fine Champagne. It is situated in th ...

, (3)

Borderies Cognac ( , also , ) is a variety of brandy named after the commune of Cognac, France. It is produced in the surrounding wine-growing region in the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime. Cognac production falls under French appe ...

, (4)

Fins Bois Fins Bois is a wine producing sub-region within the Cognac appellation, geographically surrounding the sub-regions of Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne and Borderies, and which falls within both the Charente and Charente-Maritime Charente-Mari ...

, (5) Bons Bois, and (6) Bois Ordinaires. Grande champagne is the first (and, according to many connoisseurs, the favored) cru. A blend of Grande and Petite Champagne cognacs, with at least half the eaux-de-vie coming from Grande Champagne, is known as Fine Champagne.

References

External links

Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac.
Subdivisions of France Cognac {{Charente-geo-stub