Unicognac Pineau des Charentes Blanc Pineau des Charentes NV 75 cl

Product Information

Red Pineau, which is perhaps fruitier and a little sweeter, is made principally from the red grapes of Bordeaux, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. It is aged for at least 14 months, eight of which are in oak. Other vin de liqueurs Rosé Pineau is produced in a similar style to red, however with less maceration time. It is a fine line between rosé and red with Pineau. Pineau’s popularity compared to Cognac Another similar beverage would be Macvin du Jura, an AOC certified vin de liqueur produced in the Jura region of Eastern France. To produce this liqueur wine, the juice and must of Savagnin grapes are reduced in half by boiling and the resulting liquid is then fortified with brandy. When the wine reaches 16% alcohol in volume it is allowed to age in oak casks for six years and there is no fermentation process. White Pineau:The most popular designated grapes for White Pineau are Ugni Blanc, Colombard, and Folle Blanche. However, sometimes Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot Blanc, Jurancon, Montils and Meslier St Francois grapes are also used. Finer varieties are aged for over 5 years in barrel, and often for several decades. After 5 years, it is called vieux pineau, and if barrel aged for more than 10 years, très vieux pineau. Très vieux pineau is more of a rarity, given its more stringent quality and maturation standards. Normandin-Mercier is a Cognac house known for producing a fine, long-lived example of très vieux pineau. Before these age designations can be used on the label, an examining commission must certify both the duration of aging and the finished product. [2] Red/rosé pineau [ edit ] A red Pineau des Charentes.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. At Fareham Wine Cellar we sell Drouineau Pineau des Charentes Blanc, made by Société Puy Gaudin in Gemozac, and a Chateau de Beaulon 5 Year Old Red Pineau des Charentes as well as a Vieille Reserve d’Or, a 10 Year Old Pineau des Charentes Blanc and a 10 Year Old Pineau des Charentes Rouge. PDC is a regional French aperitif, made in the départements of Charente and Charente-Maritime in western France. It is a fortified wine (a mistelle or vin de liqueur), made from a blend of unfermented grape must and Cognac brandy. The geographical zone authorized for the production of PDC AOC is practically identical with that for Cognac, and in fact many of the artisanal producers of Pineau (numbering several hundred) also are also Cognac producers. The resulting drink is between 16% and 22% ABV (but in commercial practice nearly always 17%) and is traditionally a deep gold in color, but colors and qualities vary from vineyard to vineyard, depending on the lie of the land, the soil composition and the grape used. The taste is predominantly sweet, but is balanced by both acidity and the increased level of alcohol. After a soul-sapping drive from Le Havre to our holiday cottage near Avignon, I flung open the fridge door, in desperate need of sustenance. There, beside the complimentary Camembert, shining golden in the rays of the fridge light, stood a chilled bottle labelled ‘Pineau des Charentes’; it might as well have read ‘Drink Me’.Mixing up a Conveyance for myself—including making the infused pineapple, because I hate leaving out ingredients—I found the drink pleasant and refreshing, if perhaps a bit more thin and less assertive than the bold, punchy tiki classics I can’t help but compare it with. The pineapple and light rum shine through, though the more delicate fruit notes of the Pineau des Charentes are more difficult to place, as is the spice of the chai—though you do get some of the tea astringency, which keeps the drink from reading as sweet. If I was making this again, I think I would probably boost its intensity with stronger rum, or the addition of another flavored syrup such as passionfruit, but that’s the tiki geek in me wanting to run wild. An old white Pineau, due to its sweetness balanced with acidity, can be paired very well with foie gras or blue cheeses such as Roquefort or Bleu d’Auvergne.

Lastly, due to its AOC status, Pineau des Charentes is exclusively bottled within its home region. Pineau in the Mixologists’ Arsenal However the red or rosé form is also very popular within the region itself. This is made with red grapes, typically Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Red pineau is aged for a minimum of 14 months.Garonne: running along both banks of the River Garonne as far as Agen and featuring Côtes-de-Duras, Côtes-du-Marmandais, Buzet.

Next, Pineau des Charentes must age in oak barrels. It’s at this stage that it acquires its final aromas. Whites are aged for at least 18 months with 12 months spent in barrel, while Reds are aged for at least 12 months with 8 months spent in barrel and often, longer. This process is also known as mutage and involves the essential addition of Cognac to the grape must or juice, this process is performed by the Maitre de Chai. The Cognac used must have aged for at least one year and be at least 60% ABV. The addition of the Cognac prevents the grape must from fermenting and adds to the sweetness of the beverage. Cellar Masters must also carefully consider the choice of eau-de-vie used at this stage, as a younger Cognac will not give the same flavor as a more mature one. 4. Aging As a fortified wine, it is stronger than conventional wine with White Pineau ranging from 16 to 22% ABV and the red around 17%. It is usually enjoyed, particularly in France, as an aperitif and served chilled at 8 to 10 °C in a tulip-shaped glass which encourages the aromas to develop.The red and rosé varieties, very popular locally, are made from the grapes Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot, and are aged for at least 14 months, including a minimum of 8 months in oak barrels. The finished drink is again between 16% and 22% ABV (usually 17%) and varies between a deep mahogany brown colour and a very dark pink. [1] Production [ edit ] Since its conception, Pineau des Charentes , the French aperitif made from grape juice and Cognac, has been widely recognized as a wine and not much more. But as the low-ABV movement has gained traction, bartenders are becoming increasingly familiar with the fortified wine and are bringing it behind the bar. “When understood, it can be a chameleon that can elevate a beverage, a dish or an experience,” says Michael Aredes , bartender at Superbueno in Manhattan. “It is a completely new category to so many people, where it has existed as an outlier for so long.” Please follow the links for more information on the individual products, in the meantime here is my brief guide to this little-known, but little gem of a drink. That’s not to say that innovation is stifled. Today’s producers continue to add to the craft while still using time-honored traditions. At its core though, Pineau des Charentes is defined by its locale and it continues to be made in the Charente and Charente-Maritime regions of France (the same areas in which Cognac is produced), with grapes such as Ugni Blanc, Colombard, and Folle Blanche forming the base of the wine. The Production of Pineau