This Week - Jean-Noell Dollet tells us about Armagnac

Jean-Noell Dollet is the Marketing and Commercial Director for France & International of Le Cub des Marques.

Armagnac is the oldest known type of brandy. It is single distilled, which makes it brown in colour, robust and full-bodied. It is predominantly made from four types of grape, though a total of ten types of grape can be used to make it. Aged for many years in oak barrels, its tasting notes include grape, leather, earth, oak, praline and Christmas cake!

Armagnac is produced in the Gascony region of France, which is located to the south of Bordeaux. The region is split into three areas; Bas Armagnac, Tenareze and Haut Armagnac.

Often made in small batches by local farmers, Armagnac is not well-known outside of Europe. This specific variety of brandy is traditionally an additional product made by local farmers, to top up their annual income from agriculture. For this reason, it receives more care and attention in the production process than its commonly mass-produced cousin, Cognac.

All brandy is made by distilling wine, but Armagnac is distilled only once, meaning that it keeps some of the flavour, fragrance, and body of the original wine. Once distillation has taken place, the liquid is aged in oak barrels, which have the capacity to hold about 400 litres.

Cognac is made to the North of Bordeaux, in the Charente and Charente-Maritime areas.  It's double distilled so it requires less ageing than Armagnac and is produced in far greater quantities.

Last Week

It was a Business Meeting majoring on the upcoming Golf Day.  It was decided that the meeting on the 15th October would be completely devoted to the Golf Day.

Next Week

Golf Day preparation meeting.

International - Ghana

It's World Polio Day on the 24th October so I will be highlighting some of the activities that took place across the world last year.

In the port city of Tema, more than 300 Rotarians, Rotaractors, and partners stepped out in October 2024 for a twilight World Polio Day walk. A campaign surrounding the action included a “polio tower” lighted for the occasion, signage, and a sea of End Polio Now T-shirts donned by participants. The Rotary Club of Tema-Community 25 led the effort, which was supported by the Rotary clubs of Tema and Tema Meridian, as well as the Ghana PolioPlus Committee. The involvement of 25 Rotaract and Interact clubs contributed to the sizable turnout, says club member Elizabeth Ahiagba. “Participants distributed educational materials, engaged commuters and residents, and advocated for vigilance, particularly among families with young children,” Ahiagba says.