Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/1532915
ognac the drink has never been more popular: more than 212 million bottles shipped in 2022, a near-record, and celebrities are hitching their names to producers, such as Richard Branson's blend from Raymond Ragnaud, VS Phantom. Yet its namesake town, a classic city of barely 20,000 people in the southwest of France, is rarely on tourist radars even now—and perhaps that's a good thing. It's an antidote to overtouristed sites, and its worldwide name recognition doesn't translate into an overload of visitors. But if you've seen Wes Anderson's The French Dispatch, says Philip Haslett of luxury travel specialist French Promise, you've gotten a glimpse of the landscape here. "It was filmed not far away, and set in a town called Ennui-sur-Blasé, a real cliché of a provincial French town. That's Cognac." Still, operators like Haslett are keen to tout the upscale appeal of this town, where there's now world-class five-star accommodation to match the top-flight tipples produced at the distilleries here. Mark Hallett runs Grape Escapes, which focuses on oenophile getaways, and agrees it's the perfect spot for a seasoned traveler. "The experiences, the food, the guides are all top quality and are ready to go. All that's lacking is the visitors," he says, "It's one of the unfound, undiscovered jewels of the French crown." We agree—and here's a quick primer on how, why, and when to visit Cognac. C An idyllic grape-growing region without crowds? Turn to Cognac, France, for a gustatory experience unlike any other. BY MARK ELLWOOD cru grand