But hope is not lost for lovers of fine French brandy. As with many French wine-and-spirits designations, cognac is the name of a place, and just to the south of Cognac, in Gascony, is Armagnac.

Unlike its cousin Armagnac, another type of brandy made further south in its own AOC, Cognac is distilled twice. The product of the first distillation is called brouillis. Eau-de-vie, French for ...

Armagnac maintains its symbolic associations with the French countryside at one of the capital’s most significant fine dining establishments. ByPaul Caputo , Contributor. Forbes contributors ...