Cognac: The Seductive Saga of the World’s Most Coveted Spirit

＂Rich in history and admirable scholarship. . . . It’s a fine grande champagne of a book, to be savored over and over.＂ -Patricia Wells, author of The Provence Cookbook
Called the ＂brandy of the gods＂ by Victor Hugo, Cognac is a universal symbol of refinement and quality. In the first comprehensive history of this celebrated drink, Kyle Jarrard charts Cognac’s birth in the 1500s and its transformation into the world’s most coveted brandy. Along the way, he reveals how Cognac distillers weathered vineyard die-offs, the German occupation, and other challenges over the years-and offers a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at Hennessy, Remy-Martin, Courvoisier, Martell, and other legendary brands.
For any Cognac lover, this fascinating book will make the perfect gift.

KYLE JARRARD is a senior editor at the International Herald Tribune and the author of two highly praised novels, Over There and Rolling the Bones. His work has appeared in numerous literary publications, including North American Review and Mississippi Review. Jarrard has lived in France for more than twenty years--now in Paris but first in Cognac country with his wife, whose family roots run deep there--and has written extensively about France and specifically about the Cognac industry and region.