A TASTE OF LIQUID GOLD
The Little Book of Cognac
By Christian Pessey
(Flammarion, $12.95)
The
world of Cognac has always carried a sense of mystery and dignity.
Its history dates back to the 17th century, when French winemakers
of the Charente region decided to burn bad wine to make brandwijn,
or what we now call brandy. For centuries, only the elite experienced
the fine taste of this "liquid gold," and although it
has recently become popular in the hip hop culture, Cognac still
remains a status symbol for people with wealth, power and taste.
For
those of us trying to learn the extensive culture behind this
celebrated liquor, The
Little Book of Cognac by Christian Pessey is a well-written,
well-illustrated place to start. This 120-page guide to Cognac
provides a brief but comprehensive overview of the spirit, beginning
with a short chronological history entitled “The Story of
Cognac.” The meat of the book lies in the section called
"Alphabetical Guide," which acts much like a Cognac
dictionary, with color-coded entries alphabetized according to
key words. This section includes all the fundamentals, from grape
cultivation to distillation to the French region where the liquor
is produced. Besides the basics, Pessey also includes the quirky
nuances of Cognac, such as the history behind glass bottles and
the art of barrel calligraphy.
Although
this book’s encyclopedic configuration makes for an easy
reference guide, the organization of entries is disjointed, repetitive
and not suited for a cover-to-cover read. The individual entries
themselves are informative and easy to read, though a background
in spirit-making and French is helpful to understand some of the
book’s Cognac jargon. Despite these nitpicky flaws, the
book is both fascinating and educational. Cognac lovers will be
well on their way to becoming connoisseurs, or at the very least,
have something interesting to say at after dinner parties.
Reviewed
by Nancy Huang
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