[Sponsored article] The holiday season is just around the corner, and in France, people like to make the most of this time with friends and family, around a table filled with local specialties. Since festive meals with loved ones are so important, it’s common to serve culinary delicacies for all to enjoy. And most of them come from one and the same region: Charentes and Cognac. So what better way to enjoy the festive season than by flying there yourself? Explore Cognac offers you 3 ways to celebrate the holidays in Charentes like the French!
1 – Visit the Cognac Houses to Perfect your Apéritif
The Charentes region is the birthplace of Cognac. Harvested in September and distilled during the winter, this liqueur is a must for French festive tables. The region is also home to some of the world’s finest vintages.
You can begin your enchanting visit with a royal tasting at the eponymous Château de Cognac. Here, you can taste the exquisite flavors of Baron Otard Cognac. It’s an exclusive and unforgettable gourmet experience in the heart of the king’s private apartments.
Continue your discovery of the region’s wide range of Cognacs with a visit to Maison Meukow, for a unique experience including a tour of the cellars overlooked by large stills, a tasting, and a three-course lunch at Le Chai Meukow restaurant.
2 – Discover How to Combine Flavors
The Charentes region is located in southwestern France, bordering the Atlantic Ocean, and abounds with exceptional products that the French love during the holiday season.
These include caviar, which is undoubtedly one of the most sought-after and appreciated holiday delicacies. In fact, a trip to the Charentes region is a unique opportunity to enjoy an exceptional gourmet experience combining caviar and Cognac. It is around this pairing concept that Maison Delamain offers a private tasting with local caviar, as well as other seasonal favorites like local smoked trout. This warm atmosphere is undoubtedly ideal for enjoying the holiday season in the best possible way.
The French also like to innovate during the holiday season, and sometimes this involves their passion for all things raw. Funny enough, a “cru” can mean both a vintage and the word “raw” in French, and it is around this play on words that Maison Hine has created a workshop entitled “100% Cru.” After touring the Maison and discovering its 260-year history, you’ll learn how to pair Cognac with raw apéritifs. You’ll learn plenty to impress your own guests on your return to the U.S.!
3 – Don’t Forget the Essential Sweet Note
The holiday season in France is without doubt the period when the French consume the most chocolate. And if you have the opportunity to visit French supermarkets at this time of year, you’ll see stalls full of chocolates of all kinds. It’s certainly a favorite time of year for those with a sweet tooth. You could start the day at Le Chai du Rouissoir, which organizes breakfasts made with local specialties to be shared at the foot of the still, while listening to the stillman explain the distillation process.
Enjoy a wide selection of chocolates from a local artisan chocolate maker with Normandin Mercier’s “Gourmandises” (sweets and desserts) experience. This is a rich sensory experience for the eyes, nose, taste buds, and fingertips to relish in the crunchy and melting textures of chocolate alongside the enveloping qualities of Cognac.
If you like the workshop experience, you can try your hand at sweet things again with Raison Personnelle, alongside Sabine and Bertrand. Sabine will start by sharing her knowledge of Cognac, followed by a workshop on the aromas that it goes perfectly with – spoiler alert, chocolate is one of them!
From the apéritif to the sweet finish, this holiday trip to the Charentes region will not only enable you to discover how to celebrate the end of the year like the French, but also to become a fine gourmet! And if you’ve already planned to spend some time with your loved ones this year, there’s nothing to stop you from discovering the region in the summer or springtime with Explore Cognac, as the region is packed with activities to suit all tastes and seasons.
To find out more, visit the Explore Cognac website.
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